A haulage contractor lost his temper on a single track west coast road when a slow-moving tourist car wouldn’t let him pass.
When Willem de With eventually pulled into a passing place, 44 year old Nicholas Cairney leapt out of his vehicle, berated the foreign driver and then punched him twice in the face.
Yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court, Cairney, South Erradale, Gairloch admitted a charge of assault and was fined £400.
Depute fiscal Michelle Molley said Mr De-With was travelling at 40mph on the B8056 on April 11 about 9am when he heard a car behind him.
The fiscal said Mr De-With didn’t know how long the car had been behind him and pulled into a passing place near Badachro Bridge.
Cairney stopped his car at the passing place too and the fiscal said he began shouting and swearing and punched Mr De-With twice in the face.
Mr De-With was later treated for cuts and bruising and an eye injury at Raigmore Hospital’s casualty unit.
He then reported the matter to the police.
Defending, John MacColl, said his client was driving on the single track road and came behind a slow moving vehicle and despite numerous opportunities to pull over, the other driver failed to do so.
Mr MacColl said his client admitted the assault but claimed he was punched first.
He added: “He said he should have walked away but didn’t.”
Sheriff Margaret Neilson said it was “very unedifying incident.”