A82 crash men make no plea in Inverness Sheriff Court over charges following crash on the road between Highland capital and Loch Ness
Two men have appeared in private at Inverness Sheriff Court following a crash on the A82 at the weekend involving an alleged stolen vehicle when a police constable was seriously injured and two others were assaulted.
Iain Grant (29) and 42-year-old Robert MacAllister, from Dingwall, faced a total of eight charges, six for Grant and two for MacAllister and they made no plea through their solicitor Mary-Ellen Scobbie.
Grant, who is living in Inverness but originally from Easter Ross, was remanded in custody by Sheriff Sara Matheson, and MacAllister was granted bail.
It is alleged that both men stole a silver Subaru Forester from Cambrai Court, Dingwall on Sunday and MacAllister drove it with almost twice the permitted level of alcohol in his system.
Grant is accused of driving the vehicle on the Dunain Straight and failing to stop for a police sergeant; driving it dangerously between Dingwall and the A82 at Abriachan junction and the Dunain Straight and seriously injuring the sergeant's female colleague, but not life-threatening.
Another officer sustained minor injuries, Police Scotland confirmed.
The road was closed for an hour.
It is further alleged that Grant repeatedly carried out unsafe overtaking manoeuvres, swerved across the road at speed and nearly collided with other vehicles, veer to the left causing it to collide with a preceding police vehicle, attempt to drive past it, resulting in it losing control, enter a ditch and overturn on to its roof.
The charge added that Grant then braked suddenly and drove in front of a second police vehicle, causing it to enter a ditch and collide with a stone wall.
Grant is additionally accused of driving while unfit through drink or drugs; assault two officers by repeatedly kicking both on the body and attempting to bite one on the hand.
The sixth charge is one of Grant resisting arrest and struggling violently whereby ambulance personnel had to sedate him before he was transported to Raigmore Hospital for assessment.
Grant is alleged to have been on several bail orders imposed at Inverness and Tain.