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No ban for Thurso driver whose error could have been 'devastating'





A sheriff said that a driver's failure to negotiate a sharp bend could have had "devastating" consequences.

MOT tester Martyn Fulton's vehicle ended up in a field after he left the A836 at its junction with the John O'Groats road.

An injury he sustained resulted in him being off work for a year, Wick Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday.

Fulton (30) admitted a charge of careless driving, reduced from one of dangerous driving. He was fined £300 and incurred six penalty points.

Fiscal David Barclay told Sheriff Joseph Platt that Fulton, of Macintosh Place, Thurso, had safely overtaken two vehicles on a long straight stretch of road on May 29, last year, and was then faced with a sharp bend at the end of it.

The fiscal continued: "The accused clearly didn't regulate his speed as he approached the bend and when he tried to correct his vehicle he veered onto the opposing carriageway, went onto the verge and ended up in a field."

Mr Barclay added: "Fulton suffered a serious injury, a fracture of some sort to his back."

Sian Fish explained that Fulton had only recently returned to work. The solicitor stressed that it was "most important" that the accused retained his licence as he required it for his job.

Sheriff Platt said he didn't consider disqualification to be necessary.

However, he explained that the number of points he imposed, in the absence of disqualification, required to be high, in light of the excessive speed involved and the fact that there could have been "devastating" consequences had there been a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction when Fulton crossed over to his wrong side of the road.


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