A man has been jailed after repeatedly driving his car into a drugs rival in a dramatic clash in Aberdeen.
Leon Smith turned up to the pre-arranged “fight” and used his Honda SUV as a weapon.
The 50-year-old repeatedly rammed his victim, who was wielding a baseball bat, leaving him covered in cuts and bruises, including a nasty gash to his head.
Fiscal depute Kirsty Martin told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that around 1.30am on February 6 this year, the complainer received phone calls from two men.
During the calls, the complainer and the men were “challenging each other to fight” and arranged to meet outside the complainer’s home address on Papermill Gardens.
‘Repeated revving’ and ‘loud banging’ heard during dramatic incident
Smith drove the silver SUV into a car park on Papermill Gardens and the complainer appeared behind the vehicle holding a baseball bat.
Ms Martin said: “The accused suddenly reversed at speed and collided with the complainer, knocking him backwards with considerable force that he landed on his back.
“The accused then drove the vehicle forward and the complainer got to his feet and struck the vehicle with the baseball bat.
“The accused then turned the vehicle towards the complainer and drove towards him, striking him with the front of the vehicle and knocking him sideways to the ground.
“The complainer then looked up and saw the vehicle reversing towards him.
“The complainer managed to roll out of the way and avoided being struck again.”
‘I’m f***ing gonna murder yous all’
As Smith’s SUV reversed past, his victim saw there were several people, who he did not know, inside with Smith driving.
Nearby residents heard “repeated revving” and “loud banging” during the dramatic incident.
Looking outside, they saw the complainer walking with a limp and shouting: “I’m f***ing gonna murder yous all.”
Three males then exited Smith’s car and started to walk towards the complainer who residents shouted at to run away.
Smith and another vehicle then left in convoy with their lights turned off.
The complainer went back into his address and did not report the incident to the police.
Victim suffered 4cm laceration to his head
The SUV was found hours later abandoned in a disabled parking space at Asda, Middleton Park.
The windscreen was smashed and the complainer’s blood was found on the bonnet and wing mirror.
The injured man woke up in pain the next morning and contacted the police.
At Aberdeen Royal Infirmary he was found to have a 4cm laceration to the top of his head along with a cut to his shin and cuts and bruises to his hands, back, legs and arms.
His left knee was also swollen.
Smith was traced and arrested on February 8 on Gort Road.
He was found with two lock knives in a bag.
Smith, of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to assault to injury and danger of life, possession of two knives and driving without a licence or insurance.
Injuries were ‘far less serious than might have been the case’
Defence agent Iain Hingston said the incident was related to the drug scene.
He explained Smith had suffered a bereavement around the time of the incident and was in a “bad way”.
Mr Hingston said Smith had become involved in a “drugs spiral” which involved “quite a few people who are no stranger to the court or the drug scene”.
He went on: “Beyond being able to explain to me the whole thing was drug-related, he doesn’t offer any explanation.
“Whatever the disagreement was, it wasn’t personal between him and the complainer. It was a wider disagreement. Nevertheless, he was the driver.”
Sheriff Andrew Miller told Smith: “Thankfully, as it turned out, the injuries of the person you struck with this car were far less serious than might have been the case.”
He jailed Smith for 22 months, backdated to February 12 when he was first remanded in custody.
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