A disqualification in Angus is not a matter of taking the bus instead. The county is a scatter of small towns and farming villages linked by the A90 and a network of B roads, and for most people here there is no alternative to driving. Add the points, the insurance loading and the fact that a great deal of local work — farming, contracting, haulage, care — depends on holding a licence, and the true cost of a motoring conviction becomes clear. Charles Ferguson Solicitors defend motoring charges across Angus from our Glasgow office at 20-23 Woodside Place, G3 7QL. Call 0141 345 5735 before you decide how to plead.
Forfar Sheriff Court — Road Traffic Cases
Motoring prosecutions from anywhere in Angus are heard at Forfar Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court, Sheriff Court House, Market Street, Forfar DD8 3LA, in the Sheriffdom of Tayside, Central and Fife. Since Arbroath Sheriff Court closed in 2014, cases that would once have called there — from Arbroath, Carnoustie and the east of the county — now come to Forfar. Routine summary motoring matters are generally taken in the Justice of the Peace Court, while drink driving, dangerous driving and cases on indictment call before a sheriff. Where a collision has caused a death, the charge of causing death by dangerous driving is prosecuted in the High Court of Justiciary.
Motoring Offences We Defend in Angus
Drink Driving and Drug Driving — Scotland's limit of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood is the lowest in the United Kingdom, and in a rural county where an evening out means driving to it, morning-after charges are common. We examine Intoximeter calibration and maintenance, the procedure followed at the station, and whether the hip flask defence is available. Dangerous Driving — conviction means disqualification for at least 12 months plus a compulsory extended retest, so whether the driving was dangerous or merely careless is very often the whole argument. Careless Driving — a question of degree, and one that matters especially in single-vehicle collisions on unlit rural roads. Speeding — the A90 dual carriageway through the county is heavily enforced, as are the A92 coast road, the A926 towards Kirriemuir, the A933 to Arbroath and the A935 to Montrose; we check device type approval and calibration and whether a Notice of Intended Prosecution was served within 14 days. Totting Up and Exceptional Hardship — at 12 penalty points the court must disqualify for at least 6 months unless exceptional hardship is proved on evidence. Driving Without Insurance — 6 to 8 penalty points or discretionary disqualification. Mobile Phone Offences — 6 penalty points. Driving While Disqualified — a charge that carries a real risk of custody.
What a Ban Costs in Rural Angus
Angus work is spread across the county and the hours are rarely nine to five. Farm and contracting staff move between holdings with trailers and machinery and need towing entitlement to do it. The berry and potato sector runs on transport at harvest, and haulage out of Montrose port and the food processing sites depends on drivers with clean vocational licences — a disqualification there brings a Traffic Commissioner problem on top of the court outcome. Fishing crews at Arbroath and Montrose keep tidal hours no bus timetable matches, and health and care staff drive long rounds out to the glens. Where a ban would cost you your employment, that needs to be put to the court with evidence: contracts, rotas, distances, and who else depends on your income. Ask about Legal Aid when you call 0141 345 5735.
Areas Served Across Angus
We act for drivers charged anywhere in Angus, including Forfar, Kirriemuir, Brechin, Montrose, Arbroath, Carnoustie, Monifieth, Friockheim, Letham, Glamis, Edzell, Inverkeilor, Tannadice, Newtyle and Meigle. Charges commonly arise on the A90, the A92, the A926, the A932, the A933 and the A935. Call 0141 345 5735.