A road rage maniac followed another motorist to his home and knocked him unconscious in his driveway while he was on bail for double attempted murder.
Mark Wishart menaced other road users by overtaking their vehicles before braking harshly, forcing them to take evasive action or crash.
The 38-year-old, who is serving a six-year sentence for trying to kill two people in Perth city centre, returned to the dock and admitted a series of road rage-related offences.
One of his victims was left with a broken eye socket and internal bleeding.
Another suffered severe headaches long after the assault.
Wishart has banned from the road and handed a two-and-a-half year sentence.
Flashing brake lights
Perth Sheriff Court heard how motorist Neil Adams encountered Wishart as he drove home from Perth to Methven on the afternoon of August 14 2021.
As he travelled along the A85, he noticed a black Volkswagen Golf in his rear view mirror.
The car, driven by Wishart, overtook and pulled in front.
Wishart then slammed on his brakes.
“The accused’s brake lights flashed on and off as if he was doing a brake check on the vehicle behind,” the fiscal depute said.
Wishart accelerated, but then slowed down again before coming to a halt.
He leaned out of his window and made eye contact with Mr Adams.
The court heard he appeared to indicate for him to pull over into a nearby layby.
“Mr Adams decided to avoid further confrontation, he would use a gap in the road to try and make his way home,” the prosecutor told the court.
As Mr Adams drove on, he saw that he was being followed.
Struck across the faces
When he pulled into his drive way in Methven, Mr Adams saw the accused on the road behind.
He came to a stop “in an unusually fast manner,” before parking his car in the road forcing other vehicles to overtake.
Wishart got out of his car and shouted to Mr Adams: “Is this where you live?”
The court heard he walked forward aggressively and shoved Mr Adams backwards with both hands.
His victim stumbled back and fell.
The fiscal depute said witnesses, including Mr Adams’ father, saw Wishart use his palm to strike his victim across the face.
“Mr Adams fell to the ground and became unconscious.
“As if he had been knocked out by the blow to his head.”
Wishart got back in his car and drove off.
Mr Adams blacked out and said the next thing he remembered was paramedics attending to him.
An x-ray later revealed internal bleeding and a fractured eye socket.
Following the attack, Mr Adams suffered headaches that became so intense he had to take time off work.
Smashed woman’s mobile phone
The court was told of an earlier incident on January 3 2020.
Driver James Morris-Smith was heading along the A9 towards the Broxden Roundabout at around 2.30pm.
Wishart, who was travelling in the car in front, braked suddenly.
Mr Morris-Smith was unable to stop in time and made “light contact” with Wishart’s car.
He followed him to a nearby lay-by, with the intention of swapping insurance details.
Once they parked up Wishart began ranting at him.
As Mr Morris-Smith’s female passenger filmed the incident on her mobile, Wishart said: “I’ll knock you out you weegie b****** and if you weren’t a woman, I’d knock you out too.”
Wishart then grabbed the woman’s phone from her hand and smashed it down on the ground before driving off.
Thumb shoved in eye
In a third incident on November 25 2020, witness Nicholas Long was walking his dog on Main Street, Pitcairngreen, when he saw a near miss between Wishart’s car and a lorry.
Wishart and the HGV driver began arguing.
Mr Long told the accused to get back in his car, the court heard.
“There was some pushing and shoving between the accused and Mr Long.
“This resulted in Mr Long falling onto the bonnet of the accused’s car, with the accused on top of him.”
Mr Long felt a sharp pain as Wishart pushed his thumb into his left eye.
Another man came and separated the pair, while Wishart shouted threats to burn Mr Long’s house down.
Limited sentencing options
Wishart admitted charges of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, dangerous driving and two assaults.
In January 2022, he was caged for attempting to murder two men in Perth after someone aimed a kick at his Vauxhall Astra outside a city centre nightclub.
The High Court in Dundee heard how Wishart drove at the pair, sending one flying into the air and striking the other on the hip.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said his client was two-and-a-half years into his six-year sentence.
He is due parole in November, although his earliest release date would be in February 2027.
“He realises he shouldn’t have got involved in these matters.
“At the time, he was taking prescription medication that affected his mental wellbeing.”
Sheriff Alison McKay noted the incidents happened after the murder attempt but before his conviction.
“You reality is that your circumstances significantly reduce the number of options available to me,” she said.
Wishart, of Paradise Place, Bridge of Earn, was jailed for 30 months and banned from driving for six years.
His sentence will run alongside his current jail term.
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