A Fife man, who claims he was racially abused by a woman, reversed his car on to a pavement and struck her.
Mohammed Khalid said he was abused by a person he did not know.
He reacted by reversing his car into the woman, who was injured and taken to hospital.
But Sheriff Craig McSherry inquired why Khalid had not said anything about this alleged racial provocation to the police when apprehended.
Khalid, 22, of Beechwood Drive, Glenrothes, admitted that on February 4 last year in Dunnikier Road, Kirkcaldy, he assaulted Toni Doran by reversing his car at her whereby she was struck, all to her injury. He also admitted driving without insurance.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court had previously heard Khalid had reversed the red Polo he was driving on to the pavement where the woman was standing.
The back of the car struck her in the ribs and hand. Taken to hospital, she was found to have sustained bruising.
Sheriff McSherry initially said there would have to be a proof to hear the claims that he had been provoked.
He pointed out that Khalid had said nothing about a racial comment when questioned by police, giving a ‘no comment’ interview and that there was nothing in the Crown narrative about him being provoked in that manner.
“As it is, he’s going to prison. This is a very serious matter. Using a car to attack somebody,” said the sheriff.
Defence solicitor Peter Mullin said his client’s position from the outset was that the woman used a “ethnic slur” and had “created a scene” shouting at him.
He continued, “They did not know each other. She shouted at him in the street. He says ‘What was that?’ He initially thought it was a man. She had her hood up. He drives away a few metres then reverses.”
Mr Mullin said his client had spent two weeks in custody following the incident and psychiatric assessment was carried out on him because “the circumstances were so bizarre”.
Mr Mullin went on, “He hugely over-reacted, he accepts that.”
He asked the sheriff not to impose a custodial sentence “because of the specific background, because of the element of provocation, the lack of previous convictions and the two weeks he spent in custody.”
Sheriff McSherry imposed a community payback order of 300 hours of unpaid work. He also ordered Khalid to pay the victim £500 compensation.