Mum loses it over driving
A SINGLE mother of four who confessed to tailgating and assaulting another woman at Coombabah in a road rage attack said she committed the offences after being driven to her wits’ end by bad drivers.
The Southport Magistrates Court yesterday heard Sue Maclure, 32, began following Tracey Fairbank on Sidney Nolan Drive in May last year after claiming the woman tailgated her first.
Maclure pleaded guilty to common assault, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and public nuisance.
Legal Aid defence lawyer Vered Turner told the court Maclure began driving closely behind the woman because she wanted her to “feel what it was like”.
She said her client knew she went “too far”.
The court was told witnesses heard Maclure yelling from the car before driving the wrong way around a roundabout at a nearby park and crashing into the driver’s side door of the victim’s silver Toyota before getting out of the car and punching the woman in mouth.
The court heard after the assault, Maclure wrestled the woman to the ground, before she escaped and asked passers by for help.
Maclure yesterday told the Bulletin she was not the “instigator of the situation”.
“This most definitely could have been averted,” she said.
“I believe if there was more policing to target road users who do tailgate other drivers as an intimidation technique to drive faster than the speed limit and also to target drivers who fail to give way, indicate and run red lights.
“My actions were a result of being fed up with drivers who persistently tailgate and unfortunately I let my emotions overrule my intelligence to just let the situation go.
She also said she was “deeply and sincerely apologetic to Tracey Fairbank”.
The court heard how the woman had now moved to a small town near Roma and had turned her life around, making new friends and helping her elderly neighbour.
Ms Turner said Maclure supported her four children on a single parent pension and had not worked full-time for about 12 years.
Maclure only had one other offence of violence in her criminal history, which the court was told related to her aunt and the pair had now reconciled.
Maclure was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and had a conviction recorded. She was disqualified from holding a licence for six months.