Former police officer found guilty of careless driving

A former police officer who specialised in security vehicle escorts has been found guilty of careless driving.

Dash camera footage shown at Inverness Sheriff Court captured Neil Powley (67), driving in an HGV, just missing a car travelling in the opposite direction on the A87.

Powley overtook three cars at Auchtertyre, causing the driver on the opposite side of the road to have to stop to avoid a collision.

Powley and the driver in the other vehicle both gave evidence at a trial last week.

The incident took place on August 2 of last year.

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The driver of the car told how she had been heading southbound with her two children to Glasgow when she was forced to slow down and stop to avoid Powley crashing into her.

The vehicles that Powley was overtaking round a bend also had to slow down to allow him back into the northbound lane.

Powley, of Olaf Drive, Kyleakin, said: “The cars in front of me were tourists who had been going at about 15 to 20mph for between 30 to 40 miles.

“I was a security escort driver and my driving that day was well below my standard of what it is on any other day.

“It wouldn’t have been safe to abandon the overtake.”

Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald disqualified Powley from driving for four months and fined him a total of £840.

She said: “Everyone had to slow down to avoid a massive, catastrophic accident with your big lorry.”

Powley’s defence solicitor, David Simpson, said: “He is someone who has devoted his life to serving the public.

“He has made a mistake and an error of judgement.”