An Angus motorcyclist pursued a woman driver to a police station after feeling slighted on the road, a court has heard.
Derek Mann, 42, of Haughs of Kinnaird, admitted at Forfar Sheriff Court that he drove dangerously on roads near Brechin. Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy told the court Mann was driving a Yamaha on April 23 and was following a white Nissan.
“The complainer was aged 42 at the time and she was in her car with her 15-year-old son and her elderly mother,” she said.
“On the 23rd of April the complainer was heading west on the A935 leaving Brechin and she later became aware of a motorcyclist coming up behind her.
“The cycle got three metres behind her, and then overtook her and pulled directly in front, at which point he started pulling on the brakes.”
Ms Kennedy said Mann repeatedly slowed down, forcing the complainer to do the same, and witnesses said this had happened four times on the A935.
The woman pulled in to the side of the road as did Mann. He gesticulated at the complainer, which Ms Kennedy said was a “middle finger”.
“The complainer continued on to the A90, at which point she became aware of the motorcycle again,” she added.
The woman turned off the A90 at the Careston turnoff and phoned the police, before driving to a private road to drop her mother off, and was followed up to this point by Mann, who then drove off.
A short time later, driving towards Brechin via Barnwell, the woman again saw the accused standing by the roadside, with his helmet off and smoking a cigarette.
The bike was again seen in the woman’s rear view mirror as she continued on to Brechin police station. Ms Kennedy said the desk clerk saw the woman and her son were both “visibly shaken”.
On April 26 Mann voluntarily attended at the police station and was compliant with all police inquiries. Defence agent Lyndsey McLeod said Mann had given an explanation for following the woman but accepted he had done wrong.
She said: “A white 4×4 went on to the road on the inside lane, and never got up to the right speed.
“Mr Mann said he pumped the brakes once he overtook and turned on both indicators to show the driver what they were for.
“When asked why he followed the car for so long, he said he was peeved because the week before he was almost put off the road at the same spot.”
Sheriff Veal described the events as “a disgusting catalogue of driving” and that “it did involve causing considerable alarm to the driver and the other occupants”.
Mann recently lost his job as a coach driver and had registered for Job Seekers’ Allowance. He was fined £400 and disqualified from the road for 18 months.