A MOTORIST who caused police to drive at 140mph to catch up with him during an eight-mile pursuit has asked a sheriff not to ban him from the roads.

Blair Fisher tore through roundabouts between Port Glasgow and Erskine because he was late for a meeting and a court heard that he twice accelerated 'out of sight' as officers gave chase.

The 25-year-old businessman, who has a previous speeding conviction, said that he would be forced to lay people off if he were to be given a lengthy disqualification.

But lawman Andrew McIntyre described Fisher's offence as 'selfish' and insisted that his standard of driving had to be taken into account.

Fisher admitted to driving carelessly and in excess of 108mph in his red Mercedes car on the A8 and M8.

He had originally been charged with dangerous driving and reaching speeds of more than 140mph.

However his guilty plea to the lesser charge — which does not carry an automatic ban — was accepted by prosecutors following discussions with his lawyer.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how Fisher first came to the attention of road traffic officers, who were travelling in an unmarked car, at around 8.20am on February 17 last year.

Fiscal depute Pamela Brady said: "The police required to increase their speed dramatically to catch up with the red Mercedes.

"The accused approached Woodhall roundabout and negotiated it at some considerable speed and then drove out of the sight of the police."

Fisher did the same at the Langbank roundabout, the court was told.

Mrs Brady said: "The police accelerated their own speed to 140mph, but the red Mercedes was out of their sight at that time.

"It could not be established that this was the speed of the vehicle that the officers were pursuing."

At junction 30 of the M8 Fisher 'dramatically' slowed down and obeyed police instructions to stop on the hard shoulder.

He told the officers: "Yeah, I know what I've done.

"I thought I seen you guys in Port Glasgow."

His brief said that his client was 'running late' for a meeting at a car dealership, where he held a senior position.

The solicitor added: "He accepts that his driving was completely unacceptable.

"For the vast majority of the journey he believes that he was travelling at speeds of between 85mph and 95mph."

But Sheriff McIntyre interjected: "He accepts that he drove at 108mph, and that is exceptionally high."

The lawyer told the court that a significant period of disqualification would likely result in Fisher having to make people redundant from a car sales business he inherited following the sudden passing of his father in August last year.

He said: "Mr Fisher's role is to scour central Scotland and beyond to view, assess and ultimately purchase vehicles."

Sheriff McIntyre said: "There simply comes a point where driving is of such a standard that it would be quite wrong for the court not to mark it."

He told Fisher: "To drive in this manner is something that is at the high end of careless driving.

"There was a degree of selfishness because you were not only exposing yourself to risk, you were also exposing other road users to considerable risk.

"I have absolutely no doubt that a period of disqualification is necessary to mark the degree of culpability and to deter others."

Sheriff McIntyre said he would restrict the ban 'to limit the impact on the business and people it employs'.

Fisher, of Kishorn Road in Wemyss Bay, was banned from the roads for five months and fined £900.