A court has heard how a pensioner was subjected to a terrifying ordeal, including being dragged along the street while her arm was in a car window.
Serial road rage offender Gareth Johnstone also spat in his victim’s face following an altercation in Dunfermline.
Johnstone had started to follow the car driven by the 65-year-old’s woman’s 75-year-old husband, because he felt their car had braked suddenly in front of him. The couple were then confronted in the street by the thug.
Johnstone, 30, of Calder Grove, Edinburgh, was in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
He admitted that on July 15 in St Andrews Street and Malcolm Street, Dunfermline, he drove a car dangerously by overtaking at excessive speed on the wrong side of the road in the face of oncoming traffic.
He then drove off at speed while Mary Colville, aged 65, had her arm in his vehicle, causing her to be dragged along the ground to her injury and then reversed at excessive speed.
He also admitted assaulting Mrs Colville by spitting in her face.
Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden told the court Mrs Colville and her husband had gone to a nearby Asda and were driving home when the incident occurred.
As they travelled along St Leonards Street they heard a loud revving from behind and then a Honda Civic driven by Johnstone overtook them.
The couple continued on their way home but Johnstone then began to follow them and pulled up on a pavement next to them in Malcolm Street.
Mrs Colville got out of the car and at this point Johnstone was accusing her husband of braking in front of him earlier.
As Johnstone was getting back in his car, Mrs Colville said: “Your mother must be proud of your language.”
Johnstone then spat in her face. When he was back in his vehicle the woman grabbed hold of his clothing and he drove off at speed, pulling her off her feet for 3m-4m before she fell to the ground.
Johnstone then reversed at speed for a distance of about 100m and as he departed the area he was followed by a witness who photographed his number plate, leading to police tracing him to his home in Edinburgh.
Sheriff Charles MacNair called for reports and Johnstone will be sentenced on February 27. He also imposed an immediate and interim driving ban.
