Road rage driver sentenced

Jul 23 2010 by Alison Lowson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A WOMAN was left terrified after a road-rage incident on a dark and isolated country road near Muthill.

Perth Sheriff Court was told on Wednesday that there were three young children in the car with Stephanie Florence at the time.

There was slush on the road and the temperature was below zero.

She had been travelling on the A9 at about 6pm on January 14 when she turned off at Greenloaning and became aware of a car behind her.

It had its front fog lights on and she was concerned it was travelling too close to her.

William Moultrey (48), of Mains of Taymouth, Kenmore, followed her for some distance before pulling in within two feet of her car.

He then got out and gave her “the middle finger gesture”.

“Being a woman alone on a country road, she was extremely frightened by the situation she found herself in,” stated depute fiscal Robbie Brown.

“The complainer did nothing to warrant any of this.”

She managed to reverse and drove past him. One of her passengers had taken the accused’s registration number and she reported the matter at Crieff Police Station.

Moultrey was traced and the incident cost him fines totalling £600. He also had six penalty points added to his licence after pleading guilty to charges of breach of the peace and careless driving.

Solicitor Cliff Culley said the accused is an HGV driver. If he received six or more penalty points on his licence his employment would be in “serious jeopardy”.

The accused claimed the car driver had made a gesture at him so he pulled in. At one point he thought her headlights had been put on full beam at him.

He accepted that he pulled in front of her and put his middle finger up but denied that he was as close as two feet to her.

“He accepts he should not have done that,” said the agent.

“It was only when the police contacted him he realised it was a lady driver.”