Former cop drove at teacher who was helping children cross road

A retired police officer who worked as a scene of crimes officer found himself the centre of a criminal investigation after an incident at a pedestrian crossing near a primary school.

Andrew Caine came to a halt at the crossing as a teacher escorted children across the road the road.

But Inverness Sheriff Court heard Caine thought the teacher was being ‘over officious’ and drove up towards him, came in contact with him and started revving his car.

Sheriff Margaret Neilson was told the teacher shouted as Caine approached in his vehicle: "You are going to kill the children."

Fifty-four year-old Caine of Wester Inshes Park, Inverness, was originally charged with dangerous driving and failing to stop and report the incident which occurred on March 28 last year.

But the Crown accepted a plea to the lesser charge that he drove carelessly at a pedestrian escorting the children across the road and that he revved his engine excessively.

Not guilty pleas to the other charges were accepted.

The offence took place on Stevenson Road at Inshes Primary School at 10am.

Depute fiscal Michelle Molley said 14 teachers from the primary school had been escorting 140 children in groups across the road at a pedestrian crossing.

"One of the smaller groups stepped out with a teacher who indicated he wanted traffic to stop.

"It was a pedestrian crossing and it was at green. But the teacher stepped out and held his hand up."

The fiscal said Caine was approaching the group in his vehicle and the accused pulled up towards the teacher.

The fiscal said the teacher indicated to the accused to stop. But Caine was shouting, the vehicle made contact with the teacher in the middle of the road, and the engine was being revved.

Ms Molley said the vehicle was reported to the police and the following day Caine was cautioned.

"He said it was his intention to slow down and allow the children to cross."

Willie Young, solicitor, said Caine had served for 19 years with the Royal Scots before joining police where he was a scene of crimes officer. He said he was in no particular hurry to get home that day and there were no concerns about his speed.

"He could see a large group of children. The lights were red but turned to green. But it was obvious he had to stop because of the sheer numbers of children crossing."

Mr Young said Caine braked and he was aware of the teacher on the road waving his arms and it was his (the teacher’s) shouting that drew his attention.

"He was shouting he was going to kill the children.

"At that stage he should have applied the handbrake. But he kept his feet on the brake and clutch and was revving the engine."

The solicitor added: "He was clouded by the over officious nature of the individual in front of him. He was perfectly aware of the children and he had taken steps to slow down. But he accepts this individual had the children’s interests at heart."

Mr Young said Caine was ‘a mild-mannered individual’ and was ‘not proud of the way things had panned out’.

He asked the Sheriff to accept it was careless driving at the lower end of the scale and to take Caine’s exemplary driving record into account.

Sheriff Neilson endorsed Caine’s licence with three penalty points and fined him £270.

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