A man who allegedly kidnapped his girlfriend and took her on a terrifying high-speed journey through the Kinross-shire countryside was foaming at the mouth when stopped by police, a court has heard.
Officers began following Stephen King’s car after becoming suspicious that a young man was at the wheel of “an old man’s car” and planned to carry out a “documents check”.
Constable Jennifer Findlay, who was a passenger in the unmarked BMW, told Perth Sheriff Court: “There was a gold-coloured Volvo travelling in the opposite direction which attracted our attention because it was an old man’s vehicle being driven by a young man wearing a beanie hat.”
When they were able to stop King’s gold-coloured Volvo they were shocked to see Jessica McMillan leap from the rear passenger seat and run towards them.
Constable Findlay said: “She was screaming: ‘Help me, help me. He’s kidnapped me and assaulted me’.
“The driver’s lips were cracked and had foam at the side of them. The veins on his neck were standing out.
“He was very agitated and very focussed on the female. He was shouting at her: ‘Jess, I love you. Don’t tell them anything, it was just an argument’.”
“I placed handcuffs on him and tried to take him away from the female but he broke free and ran towards her.
“She was petrified and ran round the back of our car.”
The court had previously heard from Ms McMillan that she had already tried to flee the car but had been dragged back by King.
In his evidence, King said he had been taking Ms McMillan home to Dundee when she had stolen his mobile phone after he received a text message from his ex-girlfriend.
However he said that she had got back in his car willingly after he agreed that she could view all the messages on the device.
He also denied ripping out the beauty therapist’s hair extensions, saying they had fallen out naturally and she had been saving them to have them put back in. He said she had packed several when she left his house following an argument.
King denies abducting Ms McMillan on Kinross High Street and the A977 road by demanding that she get into his car, threatening her with violence and dragging her back to the car when she escaped.
It is further alleged that he drove dangerously while at speed, crashing into a ditch, and also that he drove without insurance.
All the alleged offences are said to have taken place on January 31 this year.
The trial before Sheriff Lindsay Foulis continues.
