Dons star accused of doing 120MPH

Striker Miller due in court

 

By Fiona McWhirter crime reporter

 

Published: 02/09/2008

 

AN ABERDEEN footballer is due to appear in court accused of driving at speeds of up to 120mph.

 

Lee Miller is alleged to have driven dangerously on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road.

 

The 25-year-old is due to appear at Stonehaven Sheriff Court tomorrow.

 

He is accused of driving dangerously on the dual carriageway on March 30.

 

The alleged offence happened between Fordoun and Northwater Bridge.

 

Miller is accused of driving a car, with the registration plate L33 MRL, at speeds of up to 120mph in a 70mph zone.

 

The same charge alleges he drove at 90mph in a 40mph limit.

 

Miller, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Pittodrie team in May, denied the allegation.

 

A hearing for the case is to call tomorrow with a trial date set for later this month.

 

He is being represented by road safety lawyer Graham Walker of Road Traffic Law.

 

Miller, whose address was given in court papers as 66 Cooper Drive, Perth, began his professional career with Falkirk in the Scottish First Division.

 

He moved from Falkirk to English side Bristol City.

 

But the striker was then loaned to Edinburgh-based Hearts in January 2005 and stayed there until the end of the season.

 

In June of that year he joined Dundee United and was eventually transferred to Aberdeen for free in August 2006.

 

Last season Miller, who recently married, scored 13 goals and finished as the club’s top scorer.

 

His contract extension with the Dons came as Blackpool were ready to pounce if he decided to quit.

 

As the announcement was made, Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood said he was delighted Miller would spearhead his strikers this season.

 

First time he's shown any pace?

could maybe go to the public gallery in Stoney.

 

Christ, he's nay that big is he? 

They still use the birch in Stoney don't they?

http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/1194594

 

A POLICE officer told a court she reached speeds of up to 120mph as she followed a car driven by Aberdeen footballer Lee Miller.

 

Aberdeen FC and Scotland forward Lee Miller is on trial accused of dangerous driving.

 

Road traffic officer Clare Doherty told Stonehaven Sheriff Court she feared she would have to let the car go at one point because it was travelling so fast.

 

The 30-year-old officer said she and a colleague were in a patrol car at a junction on the A90 near Fordoun shortly after midnight on the day of the alleged offence.

 

A Ford Focus passed them “at what appeared to be in excess of the speed limit†and she followed it, the officer said.

 

The pursuit lasted for five miles along the dual carriageway, including a contraflow system where there were roadworks, the court heard.

 

Pc Doherty told fiscal depute Cecilia Dyckhoff as she drove she remembered looking at the speedometer and noticed she was “travelling at approximately 120 miles per hourâ€.

 

“At one point we thought we would have to let it continue – I was not willing to travel any faster,†she said.

 

Aberdeen FC star Lee Miller denies driving dangerously on the A90, between Aberdeen and Dundee, on March 30 last year.

 

The 25-year-old also denies driving a car at 120mph in a 70mph zone. It is also alleged he drove at 90mph in a 40mph zone.

 

The court was told the officer turned on the patrol car’s flashing lights when she knew there was a safe spot for the car ahead to pull over.

 

Her colleague, Pc Alistair Macleod, approached the car after it pulled over and Lee Miller got out, the court heard.

 

Defence agent Ronaldo Renucci claimed the two officers had not checked the calibration of the two independent speedometers in the police car after the incident.

 

The trial continues.

Personally, I think this is the first thread i've seen that actually requires a

 

'whooooooooooooosh' in it.

 

Sounds like there's a technicality or two in there to get him off.

 

I doubt the calibration could be that out to give it a reading of 120mph 

I doubt the calibration could be that out to give it a reading of 120mph 

 

I'd imagine they'll be trying to give a calibration issue of around 20-30mph so he wasn't driving at a speed which merits an instant ban.

 

I'd imagine they'll be trying to give a calibration issue of around 20-30mph so he wasn't driving at a speed which merits an instant ban.

 

 

Not certain on this, but think the issue is not the potential speed differential, but more specifically the fact that they weren't calibrated at all.

 

Not certain on this, but think the issue is not the potential speed differential, but more specifically the fact that they weren't calibrated at all.

 

 

Aye, they'll use the 20-30 as their error margin though.

So, is it just me that thinks this may be the real reason Lee Miller has moved up to Aberdeen from Perth?

So, is it just me that thinks this may be the real reason Lee Miller has moved up to Aberdeen from Perth?

 

So he can get a bus pass?

So he can get a bus pass?

 

Sorry, I forgot the Megabus does 120mph.

Sorry, I forgot the Megabus does 120mph.

 

Que? I was joking that he possibly moved to aberdeen since he might be losing his licence and would need a bus pass for the corporation buses to get about. 

Que? I was joking that he possibly moved to aberdeen since he might be losing his licence and would need a bus pass for the corporation buses to get about. 

 

Que? I was also joking, the megabus does not do 120mph, having got it all the way to London many times, i'd also suggest that it maybe can only do 12mph.

Que? I was also joking, the megabus does not do 120mph, having got it all the way to London many times, i'd also suggest that it maybe can only do 12mph.

 

 

Ouch!!!!  Do not envy you those experiences

Its back in the news again....

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8130736.stm

 

Anyone reckon they are going to throw the book at him??

Probably deserves it for dangerous driving - could he get sent down for this?

Although having said that, if they couldn't carry out speed checks (lack of evidence?) then how is this still in court?

 

 

 

Striker's '120mph nightclub bid'

Lee Miller

Aberdeen striker Lee Miller denies the charges in court

 

A footballer accused of speeding while pursued by police told officers he was going to a nightclub after a text from his girlfriend, a court has heard.

 

Aberdeen striker Lee Miller allegedly drove dangerously at up to 120mph in a 70mph zone on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road on 30 March last year.

 

It is also alleged the 26-year-old drove at up to 90mph in a 40mph zone.

 

Mr Miller, of Perth, denies the charge of dangerous driving and is standing trial at Stonehaven Sheriff Court.

 

Grampian Pc Alistair MacLeod told the court: "We saw a car travelling south. It was quite clear it was travelling in excess of the 70mph limit.

 

"When you do this job as a traffic officer, you get a fair indication of how fast cars are going.

 

"However, on this particular night the car was just going so fast. It was grossly over the speed limit."

 

I was concerned something was going to go horribly wrong

Pc Alistair MacLeod

Grampian Police

 

The road traffic officer said they became aware of Mr Miller's car while parked in a patrol car.

 

He said they went in pursuit of the vehicle at 125mph.

 

Pc MacLeod told the court: "I remember at that point I turned to my colleague and said: 'This guy has escaped. We're not going to get him.'

 

"I was concerned something was going to go horribly wrong. It just needs a puddle in the road.

 

"If someone is going to crash a car at that speed the very minimum that could happen is serious injury."

 

'Terrible state'

 

The officer said Mr Miller braked for two cameras on the dual carriageway and they did not flash.

 

He said the speedometer in the police car showed an average speed of 90mph though the contraflow system set up for roadworks.

 

The police officer told the court Mr Miller pulled over in a layby as soon as they activated their flashing lights.

 

He said: "I explained to him that should you look in your mirror and there's a car following at speed then there's the distinct possibility it's a police car."

 

Asked if the footballer gave any explanation for his driving, he replied: "He had some text from his girlfriend, some nightclub he wanted to go back to.

 

"I distinctly remember he was pretty upset with a couple of tears. I pointed out to him the fact that if you're going to travel at that sort of speed there's a risk of being caught.

 

"I was trying to calm him down, he was in a terrible state."

 

The officer told the court they were unable to carry out speed checks because the car was going so fast.

 

He said it was the first time in his entire career that he had failed to catch up with a car on a dual carriageway.

 

The trial continues later this year.

 

 

 

 

I assume that after Miller gets charged the copper driving the police car will also be charged with dangerous driving?

 

Or is it dangerous to drive at 120mph but perfectly safe to chase someone else while doing 120mph?

 

or

 

Perhaps a blue uniform improves your reflexes?

 

 

To be fair the rozzer has probably had to do some sort of advance driving course. Doubt big Lee has

To be fair the rozzer has probably had to do some sort of advance driving course. Doubt big Lee has

 

Perhaps he has, perhaps he hasn't but the implication is that driving at speed (admittedly Miller's is a bit excessive) is dangerous in and of itself, which is patent bollocks.

 

There seems to be no evidence of Miller's offence other than the testimony of the cops concerned and usually if there is a cop to corroborate anothers account then that is pretty much enough.

 

It's more likely because there's no "proof" that it's still in court.

The officer told the court they were unable to carry out speed checks because the car was going so fast.

 

So they've got no speedcheck data to prove that Miller was travelling at excessive speeds?

 

To me, reading this latest article, the only thing they can do him for was doing 90mph in the contraflow section. That's fine and points on your licence ... not a ban.

 

The only way they can prove anything else against Miller will be if the patrol car was carrying a video camera and was filming at the time. So now it's down to Miller's honesty in the case, and what judge they get in Stoney. There's one particular judge at Stoney Sherriff Court who has a real iron-fist when it comes to speeding offences.

 

He is easy on drug offenders and people who get involved in fights, as those are things that he can instruct the offenders to go to counselling for. But dangerous driving is his bane. Fucked if I can remember his name now...

So they've got no speedcheck data to prove that Miller was travelling at excessive speeds?

 

To me, reading this latest article, the only thing they can do him for was doing 90mph in the contraflow section. That's fine and points on your licence ... not a ban.

 

The only way they can prove anything else against Miller will be if the patrol car was carrying a video camera and was filming at the time. So now it's down to Miller's honesty in the case, and what judge they get in Stoney. There's one particular judge at Stoney Sherriff Court who has a real iron-fist when it comes to speeding offences.

 

He is easy on drug offenders and people who get involved in fights, as those are things that he can instruct the offenders to go to counselling for. But dangerous driving is his bane. Fucked if I can remember his name now...

 

90 would be enough for a ban depending upon what the speed limit was for the contraflow also depending upon the current state of his licence

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8269566.stm

 

Aberdeen striker Lee Miller, 26, was found speeding on the A90 Aberdeen to Dundee road in March last year.

 

At Stonehaven Sheriff Court, the footballer, from Perth, was fined £600 and banned from the road for a year.

 

Miller had been charged with driving at speeds of up to 120 mph but the sheriff said police had failed to prove the specific speed.

 

The court heard that the 26-year-old was racing down the dual carriageway on his way to a nightclub after getting a text from his girlfriend.

 

Excessive speed

 

Police, who were parked in a patrol car at Fourdon junction, gave chase but struggled to keep up with his Ford Focus ST.

 

They only caught up when he slowed down for a contra-flow.

 

During a three-day trial, Miller's lawyer Ronnie Renucci argued that his client could not be legally convicted because police failed to check the accuracy of their speed detection equipment.

 

The court heard officers had relied on their speedometers because sophisticated Vascar equipment had been taken out of the car due to the vehicle being taken out of service.

 

However, sheriff Patrick Davies told the court: "I consider there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate excessive speed."

 

Miller had denied driving dangerously but his lawyer admitted there was no dispute that he was driving over the speed limit.

 

Mr Rennuci said: "Mr Miller is a professional footballer and a member of Aberdeen Football Club. He is able to pay a financial penalty and is able to pay in 28 days."

 

Miller refused to comment after court.

 

The club also declined to comment.

The court heard that the 26-year-old was racing down the dual carriageway on his way to a nightclub after getting a text from his girlfriend.

 

Steve Lovell?

Steve Lovell?

You heard the rumours too? 

Maybe he can concentrate on attempting to be a professional footballer now?

 

 

I didn't realise that was a crime now. Bloody nanny state government.

 

Worth a chuckle.