Moray court bans London-based academic from driving after he hit guide dog in Elgin

A London-based academic who failed to stop after hitting a guide dog has been sentenced at Elgin Sheriff Court for dangerous driving.

Dr Hossein Heidari was travelling through the centre of Elgin on August 26 last year when he went through a red light.

The court heard that the 31-year collided with the dog which was on a pedestrian crossing and very narrowly missed its owner as well.

Heidari then failed either to stop at the scene or to report the incident to the police.

Sheriff David Harvie commented that the defendant, who is an assistant professor at University College London, had been inches away from also hitting the dog’s owner, which would have been an even more serious offence.

Referring to the CCTV footage of the incident, the sheriff continued: “The driving here was dreadful. It’s not often that a video is played in this court and there’s an audible intake of breath.

“You are so fortunate that you are not in the High Court.”

No details of the extent injuries sustained by the dog were given in court.

Heidari, whose address was given as Mill Lane, south east London, was banned from driving in the UK for the next 18 months and told he would have to resit his test before his licence is returned.

In addition he was fined £2000.