A couple “begged” police for help as they made a terrifying 40-minute journey through Fife, while being harassed by a dangerous driver.
After the lengthy pursuit ended, Liam Laing drove his car at Michael Crosbie, forcing him to jump on the bonnet.
Terrified children, who were in the back of the car, watched as Mr Crosbie clung to the wiper blades of Laing’s car, before being thrown onto the road.
A trial heard Laing and another driver targeted their victims, who were returning from an outing to watch ice hockey in Dundee, after coming up behind them on the Tay Bridge.
Boxed in during pursuit
Mr Crosbie told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court he believed they were annoyed by him sticking to the 50mph speed limit as he overtook a bus.
He described how Laing’s silver car and a red vehicle worked together to box him in and drive slowly in front of him along the A92 as far as the Melville Lodges roundabout, some 17 miles from the bridge.
He said: “I felt I was being threatened because of the way they had come in front and side of me.
“They were pinning me, there was no place for me to go and I didn’t feel safe stopping.
“This continued on and off all the way home – the journey is approximately 40 minutes.
“They were chopping and changing going in front of me and slamming the brakes on.
“I found myself having to swerve all over the road to avoid them – I even moved into the wrong lane doing this.”
Mr Crosbie added: “They (police) were called several times on the journey for help.
“We were begging them for help.”
He said at various points one car would disappear, only to reappear and continue the harassment.
When they reached the Melville Lodges roundabout both cars drove round it twice to come up behind him.
Once the cars reached the Pitcoudie roundabout at Glenrothes – another eight miles down the A92 – Mr Crosbie felt safe enough to stop so his wife could comfort the “screaming” children as both cars appeared to have disappeared.
However Laing’s silver car soon arrived at the scene.
Car caught up and drove at victim
He said: “(One child) was freaking out really badly – he thought they were going to follow us home and get us.
“It was the first properly lit-up area we felt safe enough to stop.
“When I saw the car I jumped out because I thought they were threatening my wife.
“As I ran round, the silver car reversed and then drove straight at me – I jumped (on to the bonnet) to avoid going under.
“The car accelerated and I fell off and landed in the road.”
Mr Crosbie said he suffered cuts, bruises and an injury to his ribs.
Road rage claim by accused
Laing claimed he and a friend were driving home to Cupar and it was his friend who had harassed Mr Crombie.
The 21-year-old said had driven twice around the Melville Lodges to see which way his friend would go, as he had been in front of the Crosbies’ vehicle until that point.
He said Mr Crosbie had attacked his vehicle in a road rage incident and he had driven off with him on his bonnet as he “feared for his life”.
However, Sheriff Ian Anderson dismissed his version of events and convicted him of dangerous driving on November 4 2018.
The court was told Laing, whose address was given in court as Mary Law Gardens, Cupar Muir, would lose his job as a groundworker as a result of his conviction.
He was banned from the roads for 14 months and must resit the extended driving test.
He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
