Burra driver fined over £1,000 and banned from road

A Burra man described as having “serious health problems” was fined more than £1,000 and banned from driving when he appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court this week.

James Fullerton, 59, of Atlaness, Hamnavoe, admitted a string of driving offences on the main A970 road between Lerwick and Sumburgh on 23rd August.

At Brind, Cunningsburgh, he took a car belonging to his partner without consent and drove between Quarff and Cunningsburgh while disqualified and without insurance.

At Cunningsburgh he drove without due care and attention, failed to notice traffic queuing, braked harshly and lost control. Fullerton collided with a traffic cone which struck and damaged another car, and ended up in a ditch.

He was pulled out by a friend with a tractor and continued to drive the car, pursued by police, but failed to stop when they followed him for a mile with sirens and lights.

Defence solicitor Tommy Allan said people seeing the manner of Fullerton’s driving could have been forgiven for thinking he was drunk. But that was not the case, he was actually very ill.

Mr Allan said Fullerton had not been trying to get away from police. “He just didn’t stop,” he told the court.

Fullerton was already banned from driving until November 2016, and Sheriff David Hall imposed a three-year ban. He fined him a total of £1,200 for all the offences, and said if it happened again Fullerton would go to jail, regardless of his health.