Man convicted of assault but cleared over abduction

A motorist has been cleared of abducting his girlfriend and taking her on a terrifying high-speed journey through the Kinross-shire countryside.

However, a jury has found him guilty of assault and dangerous driving.

Stephen King, a prisoner at HMP Perth, had denied kidnapping Jessica McMillan on January 31.

A jury of six women and nine men took less than three hours to reach a decision in the case following a twoday trial at Perth Sheriff Court.

They opted to delete the accusation of abduction.

However, King was unanimously found guilty of assaulting Jessica McMillan.

They also found him guilty of driving dangerously while at speed by crashing into a ditch on Kinross High Street and the A977.

Ms McMillan had earlier told the court she tried to flee King’s vehicle as he drove along the Kinross to Kincardine road.

She said the 27-year-old had dragged her back to the car and taken off, crashing the Volvo into a ditch while ripping out her hair extensions and then driving off again. King was stopped by an unmarked police vehicle, with officers claiming they were suspicious a young man was at the wheel of “an old man’s car”.

Footage from the unmarked police car showed once King’s vehicle had been stopped, Ms McMillan ran towards police officers.

King claimed he had been taking Ms McMillan home to Dundee when she had stolen his mobile phone after he received a text message from his ex-girlfriend.

However, he said she had got back in his car willingly after he agreed she could view all the messages on the device.

He also denied ripping out the beauty therapist’s hair extensions, saying they had fallen out naturally and she had been saving them to have them put back in.

King said she had packed several when she left his house following an argument.

Sheriff Lindsay Foulis deferred sentence for reports and released King on bail.

He also disqualified him from driving in the interim.