A POLICE officer passed a specialist Police Scotland driving course despite running other motorists off the road and appearing in court on dangerous driving charges.

Constable Kevin Brown, 31, was in the dock yesterday to admit driving carelessly while he was being instructed during a 15-day specialist driving course.

Brown – despite admitting the criminal offence and now being subject of a professional standards probe – passed the course, Perth Sheriff Court was told.

The court heard how Brown was left red-faced and with other motorists shouting at him because his driving almost caused head-on collisions with two other cars.

Two drivers were forced to swerve out of his way as he was on their side of the road when they came round a bend on the A822 between Crieff and Braco in Perthshire on 29 July last year.

Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney said one of the drivers was left badly shaken by the near miss and pulled into a garage a few miles later to report the matter to police.

Brown’s counsel, Lorraine Glancy, said the incidents were “unfortunate” and said the other drivers might have been more forgiving if they had known her client had been under instruction at the time.

Dundee-based Brown was initially charged with dangerous driving, but admitted a reduced charge of careless driving minutes before a two-day trial was scheduled to start yesterday.

He admitted driving carelessly by repeatedly overtaking on the opposing carriageway and into the path of other vehicles. 

He forced Alan Finlayson to brake and steer out of his way, while John Tannahill had to swerve on to a verge and come to a standstill to avoid a collision.

Mr Sweeney said: “The accused was attending a Standard Response Driving Course at Baluniefield police office in Dundee. He was driving a marked police vehicle throughout the course.

“He was working on overtaking manoeuvres in the Perthshire area. The blue lights and siren were not activated.

“While overtaking a string of cars a car came head on around the corner. This was Mr Finlayson approaching,” the court heard.

“He observed the police car travelling towards him on his side of the road.”

Moments later Brown tried again to go past the tractor, but this time he was driving directly into the path of John Tannahill who was coming round a bend.

“Mr Tannahill pulled on to a verge to avoid a collision. The accused stopped parallel to him. Mr Tannahill said the accused looked embarrassed. 

“He described himself as being shaken by the incident.

“The driver of the vehicle behind the tractor could be seen shouting.”

Ms Glancy told the court her client had successfully completed the course – preparing officers for driving to 999 calls – a few days after the incident.

Sheriff Pino di Emidio fined Brown £320 and imposed four penalty points on his licence.