A car driver who attacked a pedestrian with his vehicle after mounting a pavement and driving at him was jailed for two years today.
Daniel Hewison struck the man with the car leaving him with a serious head injury while others jumped out of the way to evade the oncoming vehicle.
Hewison, 23, was originally charged with attempting to murder him and another man and two women following the attack in Fraserburgh, in Aberdeenshire, on August 7, 2019.
He denied the offence and a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier acquitted him of the murder bid and convicted him of a lesser charge of assaulting the man to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of his life.
A judge told Hewison: “I accept you were shocked by your own conduct, that you recognise the serious harm you caused to your victim and you are remorseful. This is significant mitigation.”
Lady Scott acknowledged that Hewison, formerly of New Pitsligo, had admitted the offence to police on the same day it occurred.
The judge said the first offender had a period when young when he was disruptive at school but managed to sort himself out after leaving.
Lady Scott told Hewison, who followed the sentencing proceedings via a video link to prison: “The background report is positive. You have a close supportive family.”
The court heard that Hewison felt angry and was in an emotional state after earlier being punched and kicked when the offence took place.
Police collision investigators concluded that a deliberate act was the most likely cause of the collision which resulted in the man being injured.
After Hewison struck the victim he was carried along on the bonnet of the car before falling onto the ground at Chapelhill Road, in Fraserburgh.
Defence counsel David Moggach said Hewison was working as an apprentice electrician at the time but lost his job.
Mr Moggach said the offence “arose from rash, impulsive, heat of the moment actions” by Hewison.
The defence counsel added that Hewison was “appalled by his conduct”, and the injuries he caused to the victim.
“He is remorseful about the incident and has been able to reflect on it and he is adamant there will be no further offending on his part,” said the defence counsel.
Mr Moggach said Hewison had previously offered to plead guilty in the terms in which the jury ultimately convicted him at an earlier stage in proceedings.
Hewison has already spent more than a year in jail on remand awaiting trial on the attempted murder charge.
Detective inspector Martyn Thomson of CID in Police Scotland’s North East Division said : “Hewison showed a complete disregard for the victim’s life and his actions have resulted in him suffering serious injuries which resulted in permanent disfigurement.
“We will continue to bring perpetrators of violent crime before the courts.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.