Dingwall man banned and fined after fatal crash

A man who admitted driving dangerously before a fatal accident in the Highlands has been fined £300 and banned from driving for 18 months.

Arran MacRae, 21, of Dingwall, had earlier admitted driving at excessive speed and too close to the rear of another vehicle.

But he was cleared of causing the death of the driver of the other car, Angus Plowman, 20, from Fortrose.

The crash on the A832 near Avoch happened in January 2016.

Prosecutors had alleged that MacRae had pursued Mr Plowman in his car and engaged in a race with him.

MacRae was alleged to have overtaken Mr Plowman at excessive speed and collided with his vehicle causing them to both lose control of their cars.

But following a legal debate during a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh, the Crown accepted MacRae's guilty plea to a charge of driving dangerously at excessive speed and too close to the rear of Mr Plowman's vehicle.

At the High Court on Wednesday, judge Lord Glennie told MacRae that he avoided jail because of the fact that the evidence showed that he did not directly cause Mr Plowman's death.

Lord Glennie also said that he had studied the contents of a report written by court-appointed social workers who were tasked with investigating MacRae's background.

Social workers had concluded that MacRae was genuinely remorseful and posed little risk of reoffending.

Passing sentence, Lord Glennie told MacRae: "There was no evidence to link your dangerous driving to the accident.

"Nonetheless your driving was well below the applicable and acceptable standard of driving which is required on the road. Your speed was in excess of the limit for the road.

"What happened was a tragedy but there is no evidence that your driving causing the death of Mr Plowman."

The judge added: "I bear in mind the obvious contrition that you have shown and the fact that you have not driven since the incident.

"I hope this will remorse will keep you on the straight and narrow."