Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Son who drove car at his dad is jailed
A MAN who drove a car at his father after being told he had sexually abused a young woman has been jailed for 13 months.
The girl’s accusation turned out to be false and was later withdrawn. However, 24-year-old Colin Simpson believed the story and drove at his dad on the pavement, forcing him to jump out of the way.
Painter and decorator Simpson then led police on a dangerous, high-speed chase through various streets in Dundee.
Police gave up the pursuit, fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin told Dundee Sheriff Court, because it was in a residential area.
Simpson admitted driving dangerously at speeds of more than 70mph in various 30mph streets and failing to stop when instructed to do so by officers in marked police cars with blue lights flashing.
Mrs Gilmartin told the court that Mr Simpson Snr was walking in Clepington Road opposite Provost Road at 1.25pm on October 6 2016 when he heard screeching tyres.
Simpson’s red Renault Laguna then mounted the kerb and sped towards him.
Mrs Gilmartin said: “The accused’s vehicle came to a gradual halt and Mr Simpson Snr tried to open the passenger door. However, the accused carried out a full U-turn into oncoming traffic at speed and exited the roundabout, heading towards Old Glamis Road.”
Police spotted the accused in Kirkton Terrace and gave chase but eventually gave up the pursuit. Simpson was traced through a warrant and had been in custody since September 2017, she added.
Solicitor Paul Parker Smith said there had been a rift in the family because of the sex allegation, which proved to be false and was withdrawn and acknowledged by the girl to be untrue.
Sheriff Alastair Brown told Simpson, a prisoner at HMP Perth “This was a course of selfish, self-centred and dangerous driving that put members of the public at risk.
“You put your father at risk, then drove off at grossly excessive speed and it was pure good fortune that no members of the public were in your way. They could have been badly injured or killed. Your manner of driving was outrageous.”
Sheriff Brown also disqualified Simpson from driving for three years and ordered him to sit the extended driving test before getting back on the road.