A father and son have been jailed for attacking a woman with a van in a life-threatening assault in rural Kinross-shire.
Elizabeth McGregor was forced to crawl under a caravan moments after being struck by a vehicle at a piece of land at Crook of Devon on October 8, 2019.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how moments after she sought refuge, Mrs McGregor tried to escape.
She crawled out from underneath the caravan towards her Mercedes C200 car.
However, as she was getting ready flee, the McPhees’ van hit the passenger door of her car.
Mrs McGregor managed to get away and drove herself to Perth Royal Infirmary’s Accident and Emergency department for treatment.
The court heard how the police later tracked down Mrs McGregor’s assailants – 23-year-old van driver Hugh McPhee Jnr and his dad Hugh Senior, 57.
Hit victim with van
The story emerged after McPhee Jnr, of Laurencekirk and McPhee Senior, of Kelty, pled guilty to assaulting Mrs McGregor to the danger of her life.
The pair admitted to driving a van at her, striking her with it, before colliding with her car.
Describing the assault, Advocate Depute Shanti Maguire said: “She could hear that the sound of the van’s engine was revving excessively.
“Elizabeth McGregor saw the van move forward and felt it strike her hip and leg on the left side of her body.
“As a result of the impact, her left elbow made contact with the bonnet of the van.
“Following the impact, the van stopped suddenly.
“This caused Elizabeth McGregor to slide off the front of the van and hit the ground.
“She managed to get back to her feet and position herself behind her caravan.
“She saw the van reverse.
“The van moved forward once again.
To avoid being struck again, Elizabeth McGregor dropped to the ground and crawled under the rear of her touring caravan.”
Desperate scramble to escape
Ms Maguire continued: “Elizabeth McGregor managed to make her way from under her caravan to her car.
“On getting inside and starting the engine, she felt an impact, as the van driven by the accused Hugh McPhee Junior struck the nearside passenger door of her vehicle, a black coloured Mercedes C200 motor war with the front of the van.
“Elizabeth McGregor managed to drive away from the locus in her car.
“She made her way to Perth Royal Infirmary’s Accident and Emergency Department.”
Argument over Traveller rights
Ms McGuire told the court the origins of the potentially lethal assault arose from an argument Mrs McGregor had with Mr McPhee senior.
The pair were staying at a site for the travelling community in Crook of Devon and fell out over McPhee’s decision to place a caravan close to her site.
The court heard Mrs McGregor believed McPhee did not have any right to place a caravan at the spot.
Judge Lord Beckett heard how, at 10pm on October 8, 2019, Mrs McGregor was about to go away from the site to attend a family funeral when she saw McPhee Jnr and McPhee senior.
Ms Maguire said: “Both accused were screaming ‘whore’, ‘prostitute’.”
After Mrs McGregor arrived at Perth Royal Infirmary, she told doctors she had been struck by a van.
Medical staff gave her treatment and she was released from hospital.
Police traced McPhee senior and junior and took them into custody.
McPhee senior’s lawyer Raymond Mcllwham and McPhee Junior’s advocate Niall McCluskey asked Lord Beckett to continue bail for their clients.
However, Lord Beckett refused.
He adjourned for reports and said: “The high likelihood is that a prison sentence will be passed in these cases so I am not prepared to grant bail.
“You will be remanded in custody.”
The pair will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on November 4, 2021.
