A Dundee motorist has been cleared of endangering the lives of two men by driving his car at them.
A jury heard that Kevin Martin accelerated his red Mitsubishi Outlander towards Andrew McEwan and Robert Thorburn on a narrow country road in West Lothian.
The incident happened as the three men argued over Martin’s plans to park a caravan in front of their homes at Colzium, in Wilkieston.
The vehicle struck Mr Thorburn who performed “an elaborate clown roll” over the bonnet before landing on the verge.
A 999 call made minutes later referred to “a crazy incident” having happened and police found the injured man already bandaged.
Conflicting accounts
Martin, 51, lived in Haddington, East Lothian, at the time of the incident on April 26, 2020.
He denied assaulting the two men to their injury and danger of life and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear or alarm by shouting, swearing, issuing a threat and acting aggressively.
After listening to conflicting accounts from witnesses the jury at Livingston Sheriff Court returned a majority verdict finding the more serious charge not proven.
But Martin was convicted of threatening behaviour under deletion of the phrase “issuing a threat”.
The accused, who it was later revealed had a series of previous convictions, wept in the dock and mouthed “thank you” to jurors as the verdicts were read out.
Sheriff Jane Farquharson highlighted Martin’s “extensive record” of previous convictions and told him: “This is a serious matter.”
She called for a criminal justice social work report and deferred sentence until April 18. She continued his bail.
