SENTENCING STATEMENTS

On sentencing, Lord Renucci said:

“Dylan Hood, on 22 August 2025 you pled guilty at a preliminary hearing to a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving together with four other contraventions of the Road Traffic Act 1988, namely, driving without a licence, driving without insurance, failing to co-operate with a preliminary drug test and failing to comply with a preliminary breath test.

Charge 1, causing serious injury by dangerous driving was by far the most serious charge as highlighted by the fact that none of the other four charges are indictable offences or punishable by imprisonment.

On 24 July 2024, having fuelled yourself on cocaine you deliberately and wholly unnecessarily took control of a particularly powerful car in the knowledge that you had neither a valid licence nor insurance. I do not accept your explanations that you had not realised that your licence had expired or that you thought your friend had adequate insurance and that your own insurance covered you to drive other vehicles.

Given the fact you did not have a valid licence your own insurance would not even have covered you to drive your own car. 

Having taken control of the vehicle and whilst intoxicated by drugs, in your case cocaine, you drove onto the eastbound M8 motorway, where you proceeded to drive at speeds of up to 134mph, causing other drivers to take evasive action as you began undertaking other vehicles. If that was not dangerous enough you then tried to undertake by using the hard shoulder.

Whilst carrying out that undertaking manoeuvre your speed on the hard shoulder increased, at one point reaching a speed of 134 mph as confirmed by the telematics readout from the vehicle’s airbag control module. Whilst speeding on the hard shoulder you then collided with a stationery police car, occupied at the time by PCs Blair and Bremmner and David Clinton a member of the public and your speed at the point of impact was 86mph.

Such was the force of the impact that the police vehicle was thrown into the stationary vehicle in front of it which was occupied by Peter Sweeney.

Within the vehicle you were driving were David Graham the registered keeper of the Mercedes and another acquaintance Robert Bell.

Following the collision it was abundantly clear to you that others had been badly injured but you were only concerned for yourself and left the scene running down the hard shoulder and across the motorway embankment.

The others were not so fortunate.

David Graham was assessed to have serious, but not life-threatening injuries and he was taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

David Clinton was assessed to have serious life-threatening injuries. He required to be cut free from the wreckage of the police car by the Fire and Rescue Service, before being taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Police Constable Blair was assessed to have serious but not life-threatening injuries and was taken by ambulance to Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Police Constable Bremner was assessed to have critical life-threatening injuries. He required to be cut free from the wreckage of the police car by the Fire and Rescue Service before being taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Peter Sweeney was assessed to have serious, but not life-threatening injuries. He was also taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

1. PC Bremmner in particular, suffered a catalogue of injuries and was sedated and unconscious for three weeks following the collision, and he then spent a total of three months in hospital. Even now he is still receiving treatment and his cognitive function and memory have been affected by the injuries sustained. Notwithstanding the fact that this incident took place over a year ago there is no likelihood of him returning to work in the near future.

2. David Clinton required to undergo a number of surgeries,

3. Peter Sweeney suffered a broken collar bone and a sprained foot,

4. Robert Bell was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on 24 July 2024 and the following injuries were noted:

a) multiple back fractures;

b) a Ruptured bowel, of which a third was removed during emergency surgery;

c) a collapsed lung; and

d) severe cuts and bruises.

Robert Bell spent approximately two weeks in hospital before being discharged. He was fitted with a back brace. As a result of the injury to his bowel, he is required to take medication for the rest of his life.

5. David Graham was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on 24 July 2024 and the following injuries were noted:

a) fractured pelvis;

b) fractured skull; and

c) bruising around the pelvic fracture.

He underwent emergency surgery for his injuries. He remained in hospital for approximately two weeks.

6. Police Constable Andrew Blair was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital on 24 July 2024 and the following injuries were noted:

a) a shattered right cheek bone;

b) a large laceration across the length of his chin;

c) a torn calf on the left leg.

The large laceration required stitches to close the wound.  He receives ongoing treatment in relation to his shattered cheek bone and teeth. He also required a number of dental operations to repair shattered teeth at the back of his mouth.

Six men all seriously injured because of your unacceptable and selfish actions.

As properly recognised by your counsel, Mr Nelson there is no alternative to a custodial sentence having regard to the serious nature of the charge.

However, I am restricted in my sentencing power as Parliament has set the maximum sentence for an offence under section 1A of the 1988 Act at five years imprisonment. In fairness to the Parliamentarians it maybe that they had simply never envisaged or imagined a situation where in a collision of this magnitude anyone could have survived.

To say it is a miracle that no-one was killed is not an overstatement.

I consider, in determining the appropriate sentence, that both the level of culpability and harm are high. Indeed I can find no mitigating features present and the circumstances of this offence are such that in my view, places it at the highest end of the scale for offences of this type.

In determining the appropriate sentence I have had regard to:

• all that has been said on your behalf by Mr Nelson
• the terms of the Criminal Justice Social Work Report and
• The terms of the Victim Impact Statements provided to me in respect of PCs Blair and Bremner.  I have absolutely no doubt that the legacy of your actions and the impact it has had both physical and mental on those injured and their families will be long-lasting.

As already stated, Parliament has set down a maximum sentence for a contravention of s1A of the 1988 Act and as such my power of sentencing is restricted to that extent.

Which, in the particular circumstances of this case, may well seem inadequate to those that have been harmed by your actions  

In any statutory offence where Parliament sets a maximum level of sentence the maximum sentence is reserved for those cases at the very top end of the scale. This is such a case.

In addition, your record would indicate that you are someone who has little regard for the road traffic legislation.

Accordingly, had you not pled guilty at the preliminary hearing stage the sentence would have been one of 5 years imprisonment, the usual range of discount available for a plea at a preliminary hearing is 20-25% and so that sentence will be discounted to one of 4 years to reflect the timing of the plea.

That sentence will be backdated to the 29 August 2024 the date you were remanded in custody in respect of this matter.

In addition, you will be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for a period of 14 years, which period for the avoidance of doubt includes the period to be imposed in terms of section 35C of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.  

You will also be required to pass the extended driving licence at the end of your period of disqualification.

In respect of each of the other non-imprisonable offences you will be admonished and your licence endorsed.”

26 September 2025