Driver jailed for crash that left him with a broken back after car ended up on roof in Lybster
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A disqualified driver took the wheel of his girlfriend's car when she was too tired to continue driving from Bathgate to visit a friend in Caithness.
Paul Callaghan changed places at Inverness but then got lost, was unfamiliar with the local roads and crashed into a van in Lybster on May 22, 2021.
The car ended up on its roof in the village, leaving Callaghan badly injured with a broken back and his partner with a fractured arm and other injuries.
Inverness Sheriff Court was told on Tuesday that Callaghan, described as an Inverness prisoner, had to be airlifted to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for treatment to his injuries.
The 29-year-old appeared before Sheriff Sara Matheson by video link as he has been on remand since May 31, 2021.
He admitted previous convictions, including analogous ones for offences such as dangerous driving and driving while disqualified to which he confirmed guilty pleas.
Fiscal depute Pauline Gair said that Callaghan had been told by his girlfriend to slow down on more than one occasion.
"In Lybster, he took a wrong turn, and swerved sharply at speed. She asked him to slow down and then he crashed, with the car ending up on its roof."
Defence solicitor Fraser McKinnon said: "He has now spent 351 days in custody. He has a bad record including one for dangerous driving in 2016.
"He acted in a stupid manner in this case. It was a five-hour journey from Bathgate to Lysbter, his partner was a nurse who had worked all week and it took its toll on her.
"He drove from Inverness and it was a stupid decision. They got lost, he tried to make up lost time and without local knowledge.
"He is fortunate he and his passenger didn't suffer more serious injury." Mr McKinnon added.
Jailing Callaghan for 22 months, backdated to May 31, 2021, Sheriff Matheson told him: "You have learnt once again that a motor vehicle can be a deadly weapon. It is only good luck that you didn't kill anyone."
Callaghan was also disqualified from driving for five years.
