An axe-wielding motorist assaulted another driver and collided with a police car before crashing into a garden wall after a high-speed chase.
John Douglas, who terrified a female driver in another road rage incident, has been jailed for three years and four months.
The 35-year-old admitted a string of charges including dangerous driving, assault, threatening or abusive behaviour and driving while disqualified.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard Douglas, of Yule Terrace, Blackburn, attacked a man in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, on April 16 last year.
Douglas was waiting at traffic lights in Union Street about 4.30pm. When the lights changed to green and he failed to react the victim, who was waiting behind him in his works van, sounded his horn to alert him.
Lewis Devoy, prosecuting, said: “Douglas immediately got out, walked to the driver’s side of the van and shouted ‘Do you not know who I am? I’m one of the Douglases’.
“Due to his aggressive demeanour, the victim drove off immediately and tried to lose Douglas, who had followed him, by driving around Larkhall.
“He became trapped at a dead end in Helen Wynd and the accused approached his van and started banging on the window, shouting and swearing.
“He said there was damage to his vehicle but when the victim got out to look the accused punched him twice on the head.
“Douglas then went back to his own vehicle, took out an axe and brandished it towards the man.
“Numerous residents became aware of the disturbance and reported the accused to the police.
“Officers in a marked police vehicle arrived and Douglas got back into his car and deliberately collided with the police vehicle, causing extensive damage.
“He then made off at speed, followed by police who saw him drive on the wrong side of the road and fail to stop at traffic lights.
“He drove at speed into John Street and, with a bus blocking the road, drove along the pavement before crashing into a garden wall and a lamppost.
“Douglas then made off on foot but officers detained him a short distance away.”
Douglas also admitted taking his mother’s car without permission, driving dangerously and acting in a threatening or abusive manner in Blackburn, Bathgate and Whitburn on February 6, 2023.
On that occasion, a woman was driving two passengers home from work around 9.30pm when a Mazda being driven by Douglas pulled into her path, forcing her to make an emergency stop.
She gestured ‘What are you doing?’ and this enraged Douglas who pursued her Nissan Micra, overtook her and stopped in front of her.
She drove around him but he repeated the manoeuvre and this time blocked her path. He then got out of his car and tried to get into the woman’s vehicle before kicking the door.
The pursuit resumed and at one point the two cars collided. The woman broke the speed limit as she tried to get away from Douglas who ended his pursuit when two police cars came into view.
The court heard that Douglas shouldn’t have been driving on either occasion as he was supposed to be serving a ban until 2034.
Defence lawyer Eddie Kelly conceded his client’s behaviour was “reprehensible” and he has an “appalling” record for driving offences.
He had turned to drink and drugs after the breakdown of a long-term relationship.
Referring to the axe incident, Mr Kelly said: “He was concerned the other man was about to produce a weapon from his vehicle.
“My client is a landscape gardener and he had a number of tools, including the axe, with him. He accepts it would have been a frightening experience for the other driver.”
Sheriff Mungo Bovey told Douglas he would have been jailed for five years but for his guilty pleas. The 40-month sentence was backdated as he has been in custody since April.
The sheriff also imposed a fresh driving ban of 13 years and four months.
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