Dundee Drug Addict Stole Salmon And Led High Speed Chase
A thief who stole a large quantity of salmon before leading police on a highly dangerous high speed chase has been jailed for six months yesterday.
Steven Finnie tried to outrun police after a housebreaking spree and drove a stolen car so dangerously that officers had to call off the chase to protect themselves and the public.
Finnie had stolen thousands of pounds worth of goods during raids on three properties before leading police on a chase for several miles in a stolen car.
The heroin addict was already banned from driving when he drove the wrong way along a dual carriageway after police deployed a stinger to blow out his two front tyres in a bid to end the chase.
At Perth Sheriff Court, Finnie admitted breaking into three properties in Dundee, Alyth and Pitlochry within a few hours between 10 and 11 January this year.
He admitted stealing a long list of items including tools, a television, DVDs, meat and at least a dozen packets of salmon.
Finnie - who was high on drugs - sped through a village at 70 miles per hour in the middle of a Sunday afternoon.
He turned back on to a busy stretch of the A9 into the path of officers who had deployed the stinger device on the southbound carriageway near Perth.
As he drove over it, both front tyres burst, but Finnie then swerved into the northbound carriageway and continued to drive south in the face of oncoming traffic.
He was still driving at 40 miles per hour on two tyres when brave traffic officers eventually managed to force him in to the verge and bring him to a controlled stop.
Finnie, 33, was jailed for two years and banned from driving for nine years by Sheriff William Wood for the motoring offences earlier this year. Sheriff Wood added a further six months to his prison term yesterday for the housebreaking offences.
Finnie, from Dundee, previously admitted offences including stealing a set of keys and a Kia Picanto car from Earn Crescent in Dundee on 11 January. He also admitted driving dangerously, while banned and unfit through drink or drugs.
Fiscal depute Chris Macintosh told the court: "He was overtaking in the face of oncoming vehicles and straddling the centre lines. Several vehicles were forced to take evasive action to avoid collisions.
"He turned off the A9 into Birnam where the speed limit is 30 mph. He travelled through the village in excess of 70 mph with two police vehicles in a blue light chase.
"He returned to the A9 southwards. Police had deployed a stinger across the carriageway. Both front tyres were deflated. He continued to drive and ignored a No Entry sign onto the northbound carriageway, still travelling south.
"Due to the danger of that the police pursuit was terminated. He left the dual carriageway and on the single carriageway the police chase commenced again.
"He was travelling at 40 miles per hour as he had been slowed due to the deflation of the tyres. They used their vehicles to force him to reduce his speed and stop.
"He was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and he was slurring his speech. He had no alcohol in his system but failed a drug impairment test."
Solicitor Scott Norrie, defending, said his client had been addicted to heroin for many years and realised his life was "a sad state of affairs."
Sheriff William Wood told Finnie: "You have an unenviable record. You embarked on a course of driving that must have caused absolute terror to other road users.
"It was a Sunday afternoon on a road known for various dangerous elements. This is quite appalling conduct, aggravated by you acting this way while unfit through drink or drugs and while disqualified."