A9 wrong way drink driver told he was lucky not to kill someone
A Sheriff has jailed a drunk driver who was already banned for driving the wrong way along a stretch of dual carriageway south of Inverness.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson had heard how a northbound car on the southbound carriageway had to take evasive action on March 5 when the driver saw Brandon Richards’ vehicle coming towards his straddling the centre of the road.
Richards was seen in the car park on CCTV at the Stoneyfield Travelodge entering a VW van drunk late at night on March 5.
Richards (39), of Kenn Road, Clevedon, North Somerset, admitted dangerous driving, driving while unfit through drink or drugs and while disqualified.
Sentence had been deferred for reports until Thursday and Sheriff Neilson, in jailing Richards, told him he was lucky he had not killed himself or somebody else.
Depute fiscal David Morton at an earlier hearing said Richards was seen by witness driving the wrong way up the dual carriageway.
"He [Richards] then proceeded on to a sliproad at the Raigmore Interchange where he proceeded to join the correct lane and drove towards North Kessock where he was stopped by police."
The fiscal said Richards was unfit to undergo an intoxometer test but a doctor was called and he confirmed he was unfit to provide a sample through drink or drugs.
Sheriff Neilson heard Richards was already disqualified until 2018.
She said he had a shocking record and it’s a shocking piece of driving," said the sheriff.
