Bainsford banned driver crashes brother's car then threatens him with knife

Mark McArthur appeared from custody at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pled guilty to driving without due care and attention and failing to report an accident in Merchiston Road, Falkirk, on April 8 last year.

He also admitted threatening behaviour, brandishing a knife, at his 24 Cobblebrae Crescent, Bainsford, home on April 11, 2017 and driving while disqualified and without insurance in Ronades Road, Camelon on April 19 this year.

The more recent driving while disqualified case happened when police pulled McArthur over at 1.50am for a routine check and discovered he was banned, but Sheriff John Mundy wanted to hear details of last year’s driving offences which eventually led McArthur to threaten his brother with a knife.

Procurator fiscal depute Graham McLachlan said: “It was 8.45am and the witnesses reported seeing a car being driven by the accused too fast as it approached a corner and it failed to negotiate the corner, colliding with two cars parked on the side of the road.

“When the accused gets out of the car witnesses try to speak to him but he moves away.”

Mr McLachlan said the car in question belonged to McArthur’s brother, who came looking for him after finding out what had happened to his vehicle.

“It was 11.15am and the brother goes to speak to the accused about his car being damaged,” said Mr McLachlan. “The accused was still in his bed and his brother was quite angry.

“The accused is in the bed and the brother is in the bedroom with him, asking why his car is damaged. The accused is not engaging so the brother pulls the bedclothes off the accused and the accused is lying in the foetal position holding a knife.

“He jumped out of the bed, shouting ‘you better get away from me’ and ‘it wasn’t me’.”

Gordon Addison, defence solicitor, said: “His big brother came to his house to give him a doing for crashing his car and his big brother has done something big brother’s don’t usually do and called the police on Mr McArthur.”

Sheriff Mundy revoked McArthur’s community payback order and sentenced him to 12 months in prison back dated to July 30. He was also banned from driving for 18 months.