A crazed driver has been found guilty of deliberately ploughing his car into two men in Perth city centre in a bid to murder them.
Mark Wishart, 36, sent one man flying into the air and struck another on the hip after driving his Vauxhall Astra at them in outside a popular pub in 2019.
Scott Peletier and Kirk Fisken escaped with only minor injuries.
A jury was shown CCTV footage of Wishart’s car performing handbrake turns and driving at high speed on Scott Street and South Street in the early hours of a Sunday morning.
Wishart denied attempting to murder the men but jurors found him guilty by a majority verdict at the High Court in Dundee.
Remanded pending sentencing
Judge Lord Summers remanded Wishart in custody before sentencing next month.
“You have heard the verdict of the jury,” he said.
“Your bail is revoked at this stage.
“A report will be prepared for me to understand your circumstances better.
“All of that will feed into whatever sentence I think is appropriate.”
Hit two men with car
Mr Fisken, 38, told the court how he had been drinking at That Bar before meeting a friend outside The Loft nightclub.
Moments before being struck, the car driven by Wishart was performing handbrake turns up and down the streets before mounting the pavement.
Mr Fisken told the court: “I just became aware of this screeching noise and all I heard was my friend shouting my name.
“When I turned around I could see a car coming straight for us.
“There was a guy walking in my vicinity and I shoved him and tried to turn around.
“The car had come onto the pavement towards me.
“I was then hit by the car and I went right up in the air.”
He added: “I went right over the whole car and dropped over the back.
“I was actually really embarrassed and I ran away without anybody coming to help me.
“I didn’t even stop to speak to my friend.
“I hurt my elbow but it was nothing major.
“Nothing hurt apart from my ego.”
Mr Peletier previously described how he was “clipped” by the car and suffered bruising to his right hip.
Arrested after being pulled over twice
When police arrived on the scene, a witness pointed out the car to officers after it was again seen in the vicinity of South Street and Scott Street.
Wishart was pulled over a short distance away before driving off.
He later confirmed he had been driving the car after being pulled over a second time.
None of the witnesses who saw the shocking incident unfold were able to identify Wishart as the driver in court.
Mitigation reserved for sentencing
Wishart, of Paradise Place, Bridge of Earn, was found guilty of assaulting Mr Peletier and Mr Fisken on April 28, 2019 by striking Mr Peletier on the body with his car, driving through a red light, driving at excessive speeds, repeatedly performing handbrake turns, driving onto the opposite side of the road and repeatedly driving at Mr Peletier.
He struck Mr Fisken with the car causing him to roll across the bonnet, onto the front windscreen, causing him to be thrown into the air and landing on the ground.
The attacks were an attempt to murder the men.
Earlier in the trial, Wishart was acquitted of failing to stop for police officers.
Defence counsel Tony Lenehan opted to reserve mitigation until a social work report had been prepared.
Wishart is due to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh next month.
