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Farsley man's slip road driving ban
A Farsley man has been fined and banned from driving for a year after reversing backwards up a motorway slip road to avoid a traffic jam.
Neil MacRae, 45, admitted dangerous driving after he was caught on camera trying to avoid a major traffic hold-up on the M606 in Bradford following a road accident.
Bradford Crown Court heard that the prison officer, who works at HMP Armley, was the third motorist to be sentenced for his driving that day.
Two off-duty police officers are also facing similar charges.
Judge Christopher Batty was shown DVD footage of the traffic hold-up in June last year.
MacRae's Mazda could be seen reversing partly down the nearside lane and along the hard shoulder before a police officer approached his car.
Judge Batty described MacRae's actions as "stupid", adding that another
motorist could have been driving along at speed and not seen his car in time.
"It was impatience on your part and irritation at being confronted by a traffic jam," added the judge.
MacRae, who had no previous convictions and a clean driving licence, was fined 300 and banned from driving for 12 months.
He will also have to pay costs of 375 and must take an extended driving test at the end of his ban.
The court heard that two other motorists had been fined and banned at Huddersfield Magistrates Court for similar offences that day.
Earlier this week two Huddersfield police officers had their dangerous driving cases adjourned again.
Sergeants Andrew Watson, from Linthwaite, and John Shelton Newsham, from Ainley Top, are alleged to have reversed their separate vehicles down the M606 near its junction with the M62 at Chain Bar.
They have both pleaded not guilty.
The two officers had appeared at Dewsbury Magistrates Court expecting to face trial, but the magistrates were forced to adjourn the case until January 6 next year after the prosecution said there were still legal arguments to be resolved.
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Saturday 19 May 2012
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