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BBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nA woman who allowed a girl aged under 10 to drive a car through an Aberdeenshire village has been given a community payback order. <\/p>\n Sophie-Leigh Gemmell, 32, previously admitted culpable and reckless conduct after footage emerged of the incident in Crimond.<\/p>\n The young girl drove the car barefoot and in bad weather on 10 July last year.<\/p>\n At Peterhead Sheriff Court, Gemmell was ordered to carry out 134 hours of unpaid work in the community, reduced from 200 hours due to her plea. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A video of the incident – which lasted about a minute – was seen on social media.<\/p>\n It showed the child driving in the dark, using the wipers and indicators, and peering over the steering wheel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The child has bare feet and music is playing, including by Sugababes in one section.<\/p>\n Gemmell, from Crimond, could be heard cheering during the video.<\/p>\n Peterhead Sheriff Court heard that the child was clearly struggling to see over the steering wheel. <\/p>\n It was also told that the car’s wipers were on and there were large areas of standing water on the road. Gemmell instructed the child to indicate. <\/p>\n The court heard that when police later attended Gemmell’s address, she said: “Is this about the driving thing? I shouldn’t have done it.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Last month Gemmell admitted culpable and reckless conduct with utter disregard for the consequences by allowing a child to drive a motor vehicle on a public road in poor weather and barefoot to the danger of others – in particular to the child.<\/p>\n Sheriff Annella Cowan had previously deferred sentence to obtain a criminal justice social work report.<\/p>\n The court was told that Gemmell wished to apologise and showed genuine remorse for her actions. <\/p>\n Sentencing Gemmell, Sheriff Alan Sinclair described her actions as “reckless in the extreme”. <\/p>\n He added that she was very fortunate not to have suffered more serious consequences. <\/p>\n She was told she must complete her unpaid work within 12 months. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/static.files.bbci.co.uk\/bbcdotcom\/web\/20250711-084946-a521911844-web-2.25.0-9\/grey-placeholder.png\")
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