AN ALVA man has narrowly avoided jail time for a number of driving offences despite maintaining his innocence.

Alexander Sinclair was found guilty after trial of failing to stop when instructed to do so by police while driving his motorcycle on Greenhead, Alva, on January 9 of this year.

When he finally stopped, it was found that the accused was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence.

A third charge of driving without proper insurance was dropped by prosecutors.

Kelly Howe, representing the 25-year-old at Alloa Sheriff Court last Thursday, said that her client maintains his innocence and insists that “he was not the driver”.

Sheriff David Mackie warned Sinclair, of Greenhead, that a custodial sentence was very much an option when considering his punishment.

Instead, the sheriff sentenced the accused to 240 hours of unpaid work and disqualified him from driving for a further 12 months.

The accused has previously spent time in prison for driving offences. In July of 2016, Sinclair led police on a high-speed chase for 13 miles while hitting top speed of 110mph through Clacks.

Police eventually stopped him using a stinger spike strip.

Speaking at the time, Defence agent Claire McCarron said: "Mr Sinclair had owned this vehicle and was working on it with the aim of taking it to the Knockhill racing track.

"He then took the decision to take the vehicle out and test it. His passenger was in possession of cannabis and was encouraging Mr Sinclair to keep driving.”

He was sentenced to 135 days in prison.