A Fife man drove over his mother’s leg when she tried to stop him leaving by holding on to his van steering wheel after a “disagreement”.
Steven Pentland, 37, sped off and dragged his mum for 15 metres until she was injured and then he drove off without stopping.
His mum was taken to hospital and although no bones were broken, she was left with severe bruising and soft tissue damage.
Procurator fiscal depute Rachel Hill told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court the incident happened outside a property in Kirkcaldy‘s Links Street – Pentland’s former address – at around 6:50pm on November 28 last year.
The fiscal depute said: “Due to a disagreement, the accused’s mother reached into the van and grabbed hold of steering wheel in an attempt to stop him driving away and at that point, the accused has accelerated, which has dragged the complainer along with him.”
Ms Hill said the woman held on for about 15 metres before falling to the ground.
The fiscal continued: “The rear wheels of the van have run over her left leg.
“The accused continued along the street and has not stopped to see if (she is) ok.”
Injuries ‘could have been worse’
Police were called and they saw the woman’s leg was swollen and bruised and she was in a lot of pain.
She was taken to Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital for an x-ray.
Pentland was traced by police within an hour.
It was not revealed in court what had caused the disagreement.
Pentland, of Dunfermline‘s Lapwing Drive, pled guilty to culpably and reckless driving.
Defence lawyer Lee Qumsieh said Pentland was trying to remove himself from the situation but accepts he should not have continued to drive after his mother grabbed the steering wheel
He acknowledged her injuries “could have been worse”.
He said his client had been offered a work position with a scaffolding firm which was dependent on him being able to drive.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith stressed this was only an offer of employment and said Pentland had numerous previous convictions, though none were of an analogous nature.
The sheriff said it was a “serious matter” and banned Pentland from driving for a year and told him to carry out 90 hours of unpaid work.
