Jailed after car chases involving his‘ex’

A man has been jailed after two car chases involving his former partner.

Firstly, Craig Jackson followed the woman’s Mercedes through streets around Motherwell town centre, drove at excessive speed and eventually caused his Honda Civic to hit her vehicle.

Three months later he drove an Audi A3 at speed and in an aggressive manner near Garrion Bridge,wishaw.

Jackson pursued a Ford Transit van in which the woman was a passenger, causing the male driver to take evasive action.

Jackson, 28, of Earn Crescent, Wishaw, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted driving dangerously on September 9, 2020, and December 28 that year.

He also admitted acting in a threatening or abusive manner on the second occasion.

But he was cleared of setting fire to a house in Motherwell.

It was alleged that Jackson and unknown accomplices torched a property in Cliveden Drive on September 30, 2020.

The charge stated that flames damaged a door, trapping a man and woman inside and putting them in danger.

Jackson had his not guilty plea accepted shortly before he was due to stand trial. He was also cleared of trying to create a false alibi by inducing two individuals to give police false accounts of his movements following the blaze.

Allegations that he carried a knife, sent threatening and abusive messages to his former partner and breached bail conditions were also dropped.

Defence agent Vincent

Mcgovern said his client had always been willing to plead guilty to the dangerous driving charges.

The case had dragged on so long because the Crown had, until recently, been determined to put him on trial over the fire allegation.

Sheriff Thomas Millar jailed Jackson for five months and banned him from driving for 27 months. The sheriff also imposed a non-harassment order, preventing Jackson from having contact with his ex-partner for five years.