A Perthshire father’s career is in tatters after he went hunting for teenagers who pelted his home with eggs on Halloween.
Fuel lorry driver Graeme Duncan, who has been plagued by trouble-makers for more than two years, was found guilty of dangerous driving following a trial at Perth Sheriff Court.
Jurors heard he “chased” two 16-year-olds in his grey Nissan car, as he drove around Auchterarder questioning youngsters about the egg assault on his High Street home.
The jury took less than an hour to find him guilty of dangerous driving on October 31, 2019, when he motored at speed in the direction of two 16-year-old boys in Crown Wynd.
The 59-year-old was also found guilty of a reduced charge of driving carelessly through Hunter Street and High Street, on the same evening, when he mounted a pavement and drove towards a 15-year-old male.
Jurors found two other charges, alleging he had a baseball bat or similar weapon, were not proven.
Court hears he was targeted for two years
Sheriff Linda Smith was relatively lenient on Duncan, after hearing the conviction would have a “catastrophic” impact on his livelihood.
She said he had already “suffered a long period of abuse at the hands of local youths”.
She admonished him and disqualified him from driving for one year.
Speaking at the trial, Duncan said he had repeatedly phoned police about attacks on his home since 2017 but no one was ever charged.
He said the assaults began with snowballs but “progressed” to eggs, conkers and food.
Duncan said his living room window was regularly smeared with pizza.
He denied getting angry when two eggs hit his kitchen window on Halloween 2019.
He said he jumped in his car and went looking for the teenagers who carried out the attack.
Court told of car crash rumour
One student said he had been playing football with a friend when they received word one of their friends had been hit by a car.
“We heard that Graeme had been running folk over,” he told the court.
The 16-year-old said he and his friend went to a place known locally as the mucky path, near the Niblick Pub.
“That’s where Graeme tried to run us over,” he said.
“We were going down the path when a car came behind us.
“He was driving so fast. I ran behind a plant pot and turned round to see him nearly hit (my friend).”
Another teenager told the court Duncan had driven towards him, got out of the car and told him: “If you see the eggers, tell them I’m going to batter them.”
Solicitor David Holmes said: “This conviction is catastrophic for Mr Duncan.
“It will lead to him losing his employment.”
Mr Holmes added: “He has not been treated by the system as best he could be, in terms of the complaints that he made to police.”
