A taxi driver raced emergency vehicles as they responded to a 999 call.

Colin McFarlane obstructed two police cars and a van as they tried to respond to a violent incident in Perth on May 1 last year.

Perth Sheriff Court was told his driving was so obstructive the third police vehicle gave up trying to get past him because it was too dangerous to try to overtake.

Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson said: "At 1.10am, there was a call from police control about a violent incident taking place. Three police vehicles were on patrol in the city centre.

"Two cars and a van all decided to head in the direction of where the disturbance was taking place. The van driver was in Feus Road when he noticed Mr McFarlane's taxi in front of him.

"He put on blue flashing lights and sirens, expecting Mr McFarlane to move to the side of the road. He didn't - he simply kept travelling along in front of the police.

"It became a case of the police vehicle trying to overtake the taxi and he had to increase his speed to 50mph to eventually get past Mr McFarlane."

Mr Richardson said McFarlane was "well aware" of the police presence but continued to increase his speed to an estimated 60mph.

McFarlane was not stopped at the time because the officers were all busy dealing with the violent incident but he was traced later in the day.

The court was told the cabbie felt he had been "stitched up" by police officers during an earlier incident.

Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, said McFarlane had been given points previously after pulling through a red light to let officers past, only for them to slow down and charge him instead.

He said: "They booked him for running a red light. That has had a bearing on this. He got himself into a fankle in how to deal with the vehicles behind him."

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis noted McFarlane already had six penalty points on his licence and imposed a further eight along with a £500 fine.

He rejected McFarlane's bid to avoid a ban and disqualified him for five months under totting up procedures.

McFarlane told the court he had been suspended from his job for two months and would face severe financial problems as a result of being disqualified.

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