A CARDENDEN driver tried to “sneak away” from a police patrol by going off the road, mounting a pavement and driving up a set of stairs.

Ryan Wilson Wotherspoon, 35, “panicked” as his car had no valid MOT and tried to take a “sneaky short cut” hoping that officers would not notice him.

Last month, the Times told you how Wotherspoon tried to escape from officers – then failed to appear at court.

Wotherspoon, of 70 Carden Castle Avenue, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court last Wednesday.

He had admitted that on March 30 last year on Cardenden Road and elsewhere in Cardenden, he drove a car dangerously, drove on the pavement, over a footpath and up a set of stairs.

He also admitted failing to appear at a diet at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on April 5 this year without reasonable excuse.

The court had previously heard that police officers had been on mobile patrol in a marked van around 6.20am.

They had had concerns about a vehicle being driven by Wotherspoon, and had made their way onto Cardenden Road with the intention of stopping the vehicle.

Fiscal depute Louise Graham narrated: “Their attention was drawn to a vehicle driven by the accused, and they made to follow the accused in the vehicle.

“The accused observed them, drove along Cardenden Road, took a left turn, mounted the pavement, traversed a foot path and drove his vehicle up a set of stairs linking Cardenden Road and Hyndloup Terrace.

“He drove away and was not traced at the time. However, he was later spoken to by officers and charged with the offence.”

The court had also previously been told there had been no pedestrians on the pavement given the early time of day.

Solicitor Jennifer Simpson said Wotherspoon had been driving home after spending the night at his partner's house “a couple of streets away”.

She explained: “He saw the officers and panicked because he did not have a valid MOT certificate and thought he would have the opportunity to drive away without them speaking to him.

“He did not realise they had spotted him. He saw the steps and formed the opinion to drive up them then drive away.

“He appreciates that was an extremely foolish decision and one that he regrets.”

She conceded that Wotherspoon had tried to take a “sneaky short cut” and “thought he would be able to sneak away without being noticed”.

However, Sheriff Charles Macnair remarked: “I think police officers would notice somebody trying to drive up a set of stairs.”

Ms Simpson continued: “He had looked before carrying out the manoeuvre and he appreciates it was an extremely foolish decision. He appreciates that somebody could have been hurt.”

She said Wotherspoon, who has “multiple” road traffic convictions – including for careless driving – “does not wish to contravene road traffic law in the future”.

Of the failure to appear at court, Ms Simpson said her client had gone to live with his partner after falling out with his parents, and had not picked up his correspondence.

Sheriff Macnair criticised Wotherspoon: “You pleaded guilty to dangerous driving but it does appear to me that you do not fully accept the nature of your driving.

“You spoke to the social work department. It does read that you were effectively driving away from police officers.

“This is an offence where the sentence will often be an immediate custodial sentence.”

He imposed a community payback order with 12 months' supervision and 300 hours of unpaid work to be completed within six months, as a direct alternative to custody.

He also disqualified Wotherspoon for 12 months, ordered him to attend the road traffic offenders' groupwork programme and take the extended driving test.