An Aberdeen man dodged jail after driving uninsured and disqualified near Buckie. He must now complete community service.
Aleksejs Artemjevs, 35, went to court in Elgin. His address is 77 Ash-Hill Drive, Aberdeen. The court charged him with several offenses.
Police stopped Artemjevs on November 24, 2024, as he drove on route A98, near Buckie. The police did a computer check on his car, which showed it had insurance, but not in Artemjevs’ name.
Police found he was banned from driving and they suspected he drank alcohol too. They warned him about his rights, then took him to Elgin Police Station. Artemjevs wouldn’t give breath samples there, telling officers it was his right.
His lawyer, Stephen Carty, spoke about his client, stating that alcohol has been a problem for Artemjevs. He added that Artemjevs knows how serious this is and knew he might go to jail.
Sheriff David Harvie spoke to Artemjevs, saying he faced a choice: jail, or community service instead of jail. The sheriff said he risked others’ safety and ignored this in his comments to police.
However, the sheriff decided against jail time. Instead, he ordered 300 hours of work, which Artemjevs has six months to finish. The sheriff also banned him from driving for six years. Plus, he must have supervision for two years, and they will review his progress in two months.
The sheriff said the report must be good and that if not, they could send him to jail. “This is your last chance,” he said.