Driver banned after obscene gesture

The incident happened on the M8 motorway

A motorist who made obscene gestures to another driver - only to find it was an unmarked police car - has been banned from driving for three months.

Paisley Sheriff Court was told that the behaviour of Steven McGuinness, 29, from Greenock, had been "grossly offensive".

The court heard how McGuinness drove up behind the car, containing four plain clothes police officers, at speeds of up to 80mph.

The officers told how McGuinness made an obscene gesture at the driver when he overtook the car.

And when the two cars slowed down at road works, he had again made a rude sign.

The driver did not know the car contained police officers

PC Paul McNamara said his front seat passenger had held a warrant card up at the window and pointed to the hard shoulder for McGuinness to pull over.

Instead, he pulled away at speed.

McGuinness alleged it was only the following day that he realised the police had even been involved.

McGuinness denied that he had driven without due care and attention on an eastbound stretch of the M8 motorway between junctions 31 and 29 from Erskine to the St James's Interchange, on 24 May, 2000.

He was convicted of driving at excessive speed and failing to maintain a safe distance between his car and a vehicle driven by a police officer.

Really frightened

He admitted he was foolish to make gestures but said he had made the first as the car containing the officers had pulled into the outside lane in front of him and been travelling too slow.

After that, he felt he had been shadowed by a car full of people who posed a threat to him.

McGuinness said he felt "really frightened and worried" that he might become the victim of a road rage attack if he stopped.

He denied he knew the other vehicle had been carrying police officers and told the court: "I thought I might get beaten up or be in physical danger.

"I felt I was in a lot of trouble from that first gesture I made.

"I was outnumbered and didn't want a confrontation."

Offensive gestures

He said that he drove as fast as he could as soon as traffic conditions permitted, to put as much distance as possible between his vehicle and those in pursuit.

Sheriff Neil Douglas said McGuinness had made two grossly offensive gestures which gave rise to an incident from which he had escaped at 80mph.

Despite the fact that his licence had already been endorsed with penalty points, that conduct alone, he said, justified a disqualification.

McGuinness, a self-employed joiner, was also fined £200.