Hawick driver banned for doing 99mph in 60mph zone

Ryan Moor, 26, of Wilton Dean, Hawick, was banned from the road for four months and fined £500 for almost hitting 100mph on the A68 near Carfraemill on a stretch of road with a 60mph limit.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said Moor had previous road traffic convictions and described his attitude towards driving as “quite frankly deplorable”.

The offence happened two months after Moor had appeared in court on petition charged with causing the death of 18-year-old Dale Whillans, of Hawick, following a crash on the A698 road on Easter Monday last year.

Defence lawyer Fiona Hamilton accepted that the offence on the A68 on November 15 involved a very high speed, but she urged Sheriff Kevin Drummond not to impose a disqualification.

She said that Moor had been attending an appointment and was running a little late, putting the offence down to a “concentration issue”.

Ms Hamilton explained that Moor needed his licence for his £800-a-week job and had had no convictions since 2013.

The death by dangerous driving charge is currently going through the courts, and Ms Hamilton said her client maintained his innocence, insisting that it was an accident caused by someone else.

However, Sheriff Drummond told Moor that, despite being only 26, he already had a significant record for road traffic offending including two periods of disqualification.

He added: “The fact of the matter is that you were driving at just under 100mph on a public road at 3pm in a 60mph limit.

“You already have a record and also you were on bail on petition from a serious road traffic matter, and I cannot ignore that fact.”