San yob jailed over high-speed chase

A TEENAGER who assaulted tragic takeaway driver Simon San during the attack which killed him has been jailed after leading the police on a high-speed chase through the streets of Edinburgh in a stolen car.

Keir Rodger, 18, was one of three youths who broke into a house, stole three sets of car keys and drove off in three cars, creating mayhem as they attempted to evade police.

Rodger was freed early from a 34-month sentence for his role in the attack on Mr San in August 2010, which had already been reduced on appeal to 24 months.

Yesterday he was ordered to serve the remainder of that sentence and a consecutive 21-month sentence, and banned from driving for three years.

The teenager, along with David Colley, 17, and Harry Tant, 20, all prisoners in Polmont Young Offenders Institution, had pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court previously to breaking into a house in Corbiehill Road in the early hours of March 13, taking the keys of a Skoda, Audi and a Volvo, and stealing the cars.

They also admitted driving without a licence or insurance. Rodger and Colley also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. Sentence was deferred for reports.

At the city’s Sheriff Court, fiscal depute Ann McNeill told Sheriff Derrick McIntyre that Rodger, in the Skoda, drove through red traffic signals and reached up to 94mph, swerving into the path of oncoming vehicles. He hit a traffic island, causing the front offside tyre to fall off and continued driving with sparks flying from the wheel.

Colley, she said, was driving at more than 100mph. He also went through red lights, collided with the kerb numerous times and drove along the opposing carriageway of a dual carriageway with the car lights off. He then drove towards a police car, colliding with it.

Sheriff McIntyre heard that for insurance purposes the Volvo was a total write-off, the Audi a virtual write-off and the damage to the Skoda had resulted in a loss of £1200.

Sentencing the trio yesterday, the Sheriff told Rodger, who had been released early from his sentence for assaulting Mr San, that he would serve the 158 days remaining of that sentence.

Rodger had been released on bail just two weeks before the March offences.

Sheriff McIntyre noted that Colley had one and a half pages of previous convictions and that just six days before the offences had been placed on a Community Payback Order. He sentenced him to 37 months and disqualified him from driving for three years.

Tant, said the Sheriff, had four pages of previous convictions. He also had been released early and was order to serve the remaining 212 days and 20 months consecutive to that.

Sheriff McIntyre also made the three subject to 12-month supervised release orders to protect the public.