A MAN who drove at 100 miles an hour into oncoming traffic told police his brother died from dangerous driving.

A sheriff was shocked by the details of Scott Birtles' driving offences when the narrative was more serious than the actual charge.

Birtles, 34, previously pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court to crossing the central reservation and driving at speed between the A82 and A818 in Alexandria.

He overtook vehicles when it was not safe to do so and caused others to take evasive action on December 18, 2022.

But the narrative of what happened, supplied at a court hearing on September 26, was far more serious.

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Fiscal depute Corey Laouadi said Birtles had been in the Fort William area and had gone missing.

Concerns were raised about his mental state and he was eventually traced by police.

Officers found him in his vehicle near The Cruin in Arden.

Birtles was told he had been reported as a missing person, and he replied that he was "absolutely fine".

Police said there had been an allegation he was in possession of a knife - and he responded by putting his car in gear and driving off.

But Birtles got stuck behind a member of the public on the road at Duck Bay, and police made efforts to stop him.

When they eventually stopped Birtles, he then reversed and tried to go around police.

They managed to stop him again but he again drove off.

As he drove, Birtles was sticking his hands out the window, gesturing at the pursuing officers.

As he spotted police ahead of him, he crossed the large grass central reservation from the southbound lane into the northbound lane.

Now driving into oncoming traffic, he was hitting speeds in excess of 100mph, the court was told.

Police had to cross the central reservation to continue their pursuit.

They watched him overtake a car and move into the path of an oncoming behicle.

Finally Birtles, previously of Riverside Road, Kinlochleven, was stopped and taken out of his car by police.

After he was arrested, Birtles told police that "he panicked and would not normally drive like that, as his brother was killed by a dangerous driver".

At Clydebank police office afterwards, he refused to provide a specimen of blood when required - a second offence to which he later pleaded guilty.

Sentence had been deferred twice previously over efforts to get background reports from social workers.

And the court hearing was told that the report eventually submitted - prepared in England, where Birtles now lives - had mentioned his past domestic abuse crimes but not the driving offence.

Defence solicitor Jonathan Paul was challenged on whether his client agreed with the narrative given the more vague charge.

After a pause in court proceedings, Mr Paul confirmed Birtles, now of Darwen, Lancashire, did.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said: "I think it moves it several levels up the league table of seriousness.

"That narrative means custody has to be considered. The [social work] report doesn't mention [the driving offence] at all."

Turning to Birtles, he said: "That narrative was the first occasion to understand what was involved."

Earlier this year, Birtles was banned from the roads for three years for driving his van at twice the legal alcohol limit on Westcliff, near Cardross Road in Dumbarton, on May 15, 2022.

He was found to have a knife when he was searched by police.

And in July 2022, he acted in an aggressive manner towards his ex-partner at a property in Helensburgh.

He brandished a knife and repeatedly struck a wall with it during the incident.

On those two earlier cases, Birtles was put on a community paybac order with social work supervision for two years and ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid work - the maximum allowed under the law.

He was also banned from having any contact with his ex for three years.

Sentence was further deferred on the December driving offence until November 17.