Furious dad's fast car chase

Allan Thompson (41) got behind the wheel of his vehicle and chased down the man who supposedly drove his son into a “hysterical” state.

After a few attempts to overtake his quarry, including when he pulled up for a red traffic light, Thompson’s vehicle hit the man’s car, in what was described as a minor road traffic collision.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court, Thompson had pled guilty to dangerous driving on Kersiebank Avenue and Inchyra Road, Grangemouth on May 21.

Thompson’s defence agent said: “He has had a clean licence for many years – his last offence was 17 years ago. He has now settled down and has a family and is a very hard worker. He accepts what he did was wrong.

“An individual spoke to my client’s son and his female friend and this caused his son to become hysterical. There was an accusation my client’s son and his female friend had caused some damage to the complainer’s property and the complainer lost his temper enough to upset my client’s son and his friend.

“The female friend phoned her mother about it and the mother then phoned my client.”

The court heard Thompson worked 12-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week for a fabrication firm and had received four figure fines from the courts in the past.

Sheriff Craig Caldwell said: “This is a serious offence and the manner of your driving was dangerous, causing damage and a fair amount of distress to other road users. I fully understand why you attempted to act in this way, but there are actions you could have taken to redress the offence you perceived had been suffered by your son.

“You are close to the category of dangerous driving that results in imprisonment.”

Thompson, 43 Strowan Road, Grangemouth, was banned from driving for two years and fined £2200 to be paid within six months.