A stallholder has been allowed to keep her driving licence after causing chaos at a car boot sale in Perthshire.
Samantha Corbiere drove over a fellow trader’s display of DVDs and struck a steward twice with her car.
The 37-year-old, from Fife, motored out of the Errol Sunday market site after a suspected theft from her stall, Perth Sheriff Court heard.
She was initially charged with dangerous driving after the incident on May 15 2022 but she appeared in the dock this week and admitted a lesser charge of driving carelessly.
Drove over discs
Prosecutor Stuart Hamilton told the court: “The locus here is an open air market place.
“At around 8am, a tollbooth worker observed the accused driving in a white Citreon car.
“She entered the site and began setting up her pitch.”
Shortly afterwards, another retailer arrived and began setting up her DVD stall next to Corbiere’s.
“The accused appeared distressed, believing she had been the victim of theft,” said the fiscal depute.
“She was asking where the manager was.
“She was informed that she should leave and would have to move her car through a tight space, between pitches.
“She was advised by a witness to inform the neighbouring trader to move some of her DVDs, which were in the way.”
But when Corbiere moved her vehicle, she drove across the display of discs.
“The accused’s wheel was spinning and a number of DVDs were broken,” Mr Hamilton said.
Steward’s concern
The fiscal went on: “She then entered the central car park, before making a turn and driving up a gravel road towards the main office.
“She was met by a steward who said he was concerned about her driving.”
Corbiere explained she thought someone had stolen some of her merchandise.
“But before anything could happen, she took off down a pedestrian-only road, which came to a dead end,” said Mr Hamilton.
“One of the stewards was sent to stop her.
“As she stopped her car, she made contact with the steward’s leg.
“She opened the door and told him she needed to get out of here, that her ‘anxiety was playing up’.
“She was warned about her driving and reminded that there were children walking nearby.”
Corbiere kept repeating: “How do I get out of here? I need out of here.”
Hit steward for second time
Mr Hamilton said: “She was escorted by a steward and members of the public were made to keep clear of her.
“The steward was walking in front of the vehicle.
“The accused was then described as becoming impatient and she bumped into the back of the steward, causing him to stumble forward a few steps.
“He went back to the car and told the accused he had enough of her driving. He said he was ‘not having it’.
“The accused simply nodded her head forward, signalling she wanted to drive on, and left the site.”
Police were contacted and officers later spoke to Corbiere at her home in Abbotsfield Drive, Glenrothes.
She told them: “It’s ridiculous.
“If I had hit a person, I would have stopped immediately.”
She added she had requested CCTV from the DVD seller.
‘Theft’ not resolved
Solicitor Graham Inch, defending, said his client had “experience of courts before” but had kept out of trouble for some time.
“The theft issue here was never properly resolved.
“Since this incident, her car has been off the road. It requires repairs that she simply cannot afford.”
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told Corbiere: “Given the quality of your driving on this occasion and that you struck a pedestrian not once but twice and that you had been warned about your driving, I’m going to issue a fine.”
Corbiere was ordered to pay £450 and had nine penalty points added to her licence.
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