Drunk driver who drove wrong way and terrorised motorist jailed for 28 months

Slawomir Stiller, 49, was found to be almost six times over the legal driving limit following the incidents on the A9 near Inverness in May this year.

Several witnesses provided police with dashcam footage which showed Stiller’s reckless driving as he travelled south on the northbound lane of the carriageway, at one point reaching a speed of 60 miles per hour.

He was sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to charges that included drink driving, dangerous driving, assault and threating behaviour. He was also disqualified from driving for nine years and two months.

The court heard how Stiller drove his car clockwise round the Tore roundabout with his main beam on before proceeding entering the northbound carriageway of the A9 while driving south.

One driver was forced to swap lanes to avoid Stiller’s oncoming van as it mounted verges and drove directly towards them. A driver was then targeted by Stiller who tried to block her into a lay-by as she made a 999 call.

She drove off at speed towards Kessock Bridge, but the accused overtook her and then reversed his car into hers before trying to open her car doors and punching her vehicle. Police Scotland received 12 999 calls from concerned road users, and eventually officers were forced to set up a rolling roadblock to try and stop Stiller’s vehicle.

When police apprehended the accused, he was unsteady on his feet and shouting in an incoherent manner at the woman whom he believed was his wife. The accused was eventually arrested and a roadside breath test revealed his breath alcohol level to be 136 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, which is more than six times the legal limit of 22 microgrammes.

Officers also found a bottle of whisky and medication inside Stiller’s vehicle.

Alison McKenzie, procurator fiscal for Grampian, Highlands and the Islands, said: “Slawomir Stiller showed a reckless disregard for the safety of other motorists. It is entirely possible that his conduct could have resulted in a fatal incident.”