OAP appears in court

AN EAST Kintyre pensioner was punished after driving straight at an oncoming van.

AN EAST Kintyre pensioner has been banned from driving for 12 months and fined £450 after a court heard he forced an oncoming van to take evasive action.

Alen Morrison Oman, 74, of Pier House, Carradale was convicted following a trial, at Campbeltown Justice of the Peace Court, on Monday afternoon, when he was found guilty of one charge of driving without due care and attention.

Described

Earlier the court heard two witnesses describe how Oman had sped towards their work van straddling the centre of the road.

The van driver, Greg Scally, 25, Campbeltown assistant harbourmaster, told the court that on May 9 last year he was heading for Carradale, with Ian McSporran, 56, to carry out a pier inspection.

Mr Scally said: ‘As we approached Carradale there was a blue car coming straight for us, at first I thought it was a tourist or a foreigner.’

Mr McSporran added that to avoid a collision his colleague had to make a sudden stop and swerve on to the grass.

During questioning Oman denied having ever seen the two men before and said he did not recognise them.

Speaking about the events of that day he said he had no recollection of the incident as he drives to Campbeltown everyday for supplies for his two bachelor brothers.

Oman, who the court was told survives on an old age pension, added that he had nine or ten cars and a number of them were blue.

Fabrication

‘It is a nonsense, my car is worth £30,000, why would I damage a car like that?’ said Oman, ‘Why would I want to drive directly at someone? It is an absolute fabrication.’

The procurator fiscal asked Oman why the two men would make the story up.

Justice of the Peace Margaret McDowall said: ‘Having listened to the evidence I find the statements of the two witnesses credible.’