A man allegedly hit two children with a car following a spate of egg-throwing attacks in a Perthshire town.
Jurors heard that a 15-year-old was struck on the leg by a vehicle after it mounted a pavement in Auchterarder on Halloween night 2019.
The driver got out and confronted the youngster, while brandishing a bat or pole above his head, Perth Sheriff Court was told.
He allegedly said to the schoolboy: “If you see the eggers, tell them I’m going to batter them.”
Allegations
Graeme Duncan is on trial at Perth Sheriff Court, accused of driving dangerously through Auchterarder on October 31, 2019.
The 59-year-old is accused of driving through Hunter Street and High Street in a Nissan Leaf Acenta, mounting a pavement and driving towards a 15-year-old boy, causing the vehicle to strike him.
It is alleged he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner, likely to cause fear or alarm, by shouting aggressively at the teenager.
Duncan, of High Street, Auchterarder, is also accused of having a baseball bat or similar item in a public place.
He faces a further charge that, on the same date, in the town’s Crown Wynd, he drove dangerously, around a corner at speed and in the direction of two 16-year-olds, causing his car to hit one of them.
It is alleged that he shouted aggressively at two other youngsters, aged 14 and 13.
Duncan is also accused of assaulting a 14-year-old boy in the town’s Hunter Street, and attempted to strike him with a baseball bat or similar.
He denies all six charges against him.
‘Struck on the knee’
A jury of nine men and six women heard evidence from a former Perth student, who had been on a date with his girlfriend on Halloween night.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was “jogging” to catch the bus home.
“There was a car in front of me,” he said. “It drove towards me and then came up onto the pavement.
“I thought it was just going to park, but it kept coming towards me.
“It looked like it was trying to corner me.”
The witness, who was 15 at the time, said he was struck on his left knee. “My hands went onto the bonnet,” he said.
The court was told a man came out of the car, carrying a pole or a bat.
“He started shouting at me,” said the witness. “He asked me if I was an egger.
“He came towards me with his bat raised above his head.
“He said: ‘If you see any of the eggers, you tell them I’m going to batter them.'”
‘Running folk over’
The court heard from another teenager, who was 16 at the time of the alleged incident.
He said he had been playing football with a pal at a local school when they received word that one of their friends had been hit by a car.
“We heard that Graeme had been running folk over,” he told the court.
The 18-year-old said he and his friend went to a place known locally as the mucky path, near the Niblick Pub.
“That’s where Graeme tried to run us over,” he said.
“We were going down the path when a car came behind us.
“He was driving so fast. I ran behind a plant pot and turned round to see him nearly hit (my friend).
“He was on the bonnet of his car.”
Headlights ‘chasing’ teenager
The friend, who was also 16 at the time, told the court: “I saw the headlights in a reflection.
“They were chasing me.”
He said the car appeared to be travelling at about 25mph.
“I fell back onto the bonnet,” he said. “It came extremely close to touching the back of my legs.”
The witness said Duncan got out of the car, and told him: “Sorry, wrong person.”
Under cross-examination by solicitor David Holmes, the teenager said there had been a spate of “eggings” – where youngsters had thrown eggs at people’s homes – across Auchterarder.
The teenager said he had never taken part in the egg attacks, but that his friend did.
“Do you remember him throwing eggs at Mr Duncan’s house?” asked Mr Holmes.
“Not that I recall,” he said.
The trial, before Sheriff Linda Smith, continues.