A MOTORIST has admitted causing serious injury to a motorcyclist by careless driving.

Thirty-year-old Georgia Thorburn pleaded guilty to the offence on the A698 road near Crailing on the morning of September 19 last year when she was travelling from her Duns home to her work in Hawick.

She admitted a charge of overtaking another vehicle when it was unsafe to do so and driving into the path of a motorcyclist who tried to take evasive action but was seriously hurt in the collision.

Prosecutor India McLean told Jedburgh Sheriff Court that the motorcyclist had left his home at 7am and was travelling on the A698 towards Kelso.

She said that the accused had gone to overtake a vehicle without seeing the motorcycle approaching and had tried to pull back in but struck the bike resulting in the rider tumbling onto a grass verge.

Police arrived on the scene and a breath sample taken proved negative while the motorcyclist was taken to hospital with a broken finger and a broken wrist.

Defence lawyer Liam Alexander said his client had tried to take evasive action but admitted “clipping” the motorcycle.

He said: “If it had been a car then it might just have involved a broken wing mirror but a motorcyclist is a vulnerable road user. She apologises to the motorcyclist for what happened.”

Mr Alexander said his client realises a disqualification was inevitable and she had already taken the decision to locate herself in Hawick to be nearer her work.

Sheriff Peter Anderson noted Thorburn was a first offender but said it was a “serious error of judgement”.

He imposed a 12-month disqualification period along with a £400 fine and a £20 victim surcharge.