Man jailed for dragging woman along street

court: Serial offender drove off at speed while pensioner’s arm was trapped inside his car

A serial road-rage offender, who trapped a 65-year-old woman’s arm in his car door and dragged her along the street, has been jailed.

Gareth Johnstone followed the car driven by the woman’s 75-year-old husband, claiming he had braked suddenly in front of him.

He then confronted the couple in the street, spat on the woman and drove off at speed while her arm was trapped in his car.

Johnstone, 30, of Calder Grove, Edinburgh, was sentenced at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on July 15 in St Andrews Street and Malcolm Street, Dunfermline, he drove a car dangerously by overtaking at excessive speed on the wrong side of the road in the face of oncoming traffic.

He then drove off at speed, causing his victim to be dragged along the ground, to her injury, and then reversed at excessive speed.

He also admitted assaulting the woman by spitting in her face.

Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden told the court the couple were returning home when they heard a loud revving from behind and Johnstone’s Honda Civic overtook them.

A passerby’s attention was drawn to Johnstone’s “aggressive manner of driving” and saw him arguing with the couple, the depute continued.

The woman got out of the car as Johnstone was accusing her husband of braking in front of him earlier.

As Johnstone was getting back in his car, she said, “Your mother must be proud of your language” and he spat in her face.

When he was back in his vehicle the woman grabbed hold of his clothing and he drove off at speed, pulling her off her feet for three or four metres before she fell to the ground.

Johnstone then reversed at speed for about 100 metres. A witness photographed his number plate and police traced him in Edinburgh.

The woman received treatment for cuts and grazes.

Sheriff Charles MacNair told Johnstone: “This is your third road-rage incident in the space of a year and it involved a very, very unpleasant assault.”

He jailed Johnstone for six months and banned him from driving for 35 months.

Johnstone was already on a community payback order and a restriction of liberty order after being involved in three previous road-rage incidents in Fife.

He also followed a female driver into a Dunfermline car park and told her, “You’re lucky you’re a bird because I was going to batter you.

“You shouldn’t cut people up.” Johnstone was also involved in a road rage incident at traffic lights in Carnegie Drive, Dunfermline, when he punched a man in the face, knocking two teeth out.

This is your third roadrage incident in the space of a year and it involved a very, very unpleasant assault. SHERIFF CHARLES MACNAIR