HMA V Michael James Scott

At the High Court in Edinburgh today, (3 December 2019), Lord Uist sentenced Michael James Scott to 12 years imprisonment after the accused was found guilty of attempted murder.

On sentencing Lord Uist made the following statement in court:

“You were convicted by the jury at Aberdeen High Court of the attempted murder of Graeme Hardie, a man with whom you had had an argument in a pub on the occasion of his late brother’s funeral reception. You deliberately drove your car at him in order to cause him injury, and you did cause him the most appalling injuries, which have effectively ruined his life. He sustained severe brain damage. He cannot walk. He can do virtually nothing for himself, can hardly speak and requires to be fed by means of a tube. He needs care for 24 hours a day. He is prone to infections. You have shown no remorse for what you did to him. After you ran him down you careered onto the grass verge and across one side of a dual carriageway before becoming stuck across the central reservation. You were also convicted by the jury of two charges of threatening and abusive behaviour and two road traffic offences.

You are now 35 years old. You have a criminal history as set out in the schedule of previous convictions and in the pre-sentence report, which states that your past and current behaviour indicates that you have a propensity to use violence and aggression in a conflict situation. You have been assessed as posing a high risk of serious harm to the public at present. In imposing sentence I have taken into account the evidence given at the trial, the information with which I have been provided in the pre-sentence report and all that has been said on your behalf in mitigation. Nevertheless, a conviction for attempted murder, particularly where, as here, the crime has resulted in catastrophic injury to the victim, must attract a lengthy sentence.

I deal first with the minor charges. On charges 2 and 5, the charges of threatening and abusive behaviour, I admonish you. On charge 4, the charge of dangerous driving, the sentence will be 12 months imprisonment and your licence will be endorsed. On charge 6, the charge of failing to provide breath specimens, the sentence will be three months imprisonment and your licence will be endorsed. On charge 3, the charge of attempted murder, the sentence which I impose is 12 years imprisonment. On that charge you will also be disqualified from driving for life. The custodial sentences will all run concurrently from 21 October 2019, resulting in a total custodial sentence of 12 years imprisonment from that date.”