A row over a dog resulted in a Lochaber man driving a car at its owners and assaulting one of them, a court heard yesterday.
Fort William Sheriff Court was told that Christopher and Danielle Drummon had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by a black Jeep driven by Kevin Mathers on Caol shorefront.
But Mathers, 49, of 16 Glenloy Street, Caol, denies driving the vehicle dangerously at Erracht Drive on September 18 last year by driving at the couple.
He also denies assaulting Mr Drummon by punching him repeatedly to his head to his injury.
And his trial started yesterday.
Mr Drummon (36), also of Caol, told the court he and his wife were walking their Jack Russell on the beach when the Jeep pulled up and a Collie dog came towards them as if it was “stalking” their dog.
He said his wife asked the woman with the dog to put it on a lead, but she started shouting and swearing at them.
Mr Drummon said he shouted back at the woman and Mathers got out of the vehicle and challenged him to fight.
He said he and his wife then headed for home, but Mathers jumped in the Jeep and drove towards them.
He said: “He sped on the grass, maybe 20 to 30mph at least.
“As he was about 10m (33ft) away, my wife got scared and started to move out of the way to go towards the road and the Jeep swerved to intimidate or hit my wife.”
He told the court the vehicle missed her by about three feet, the driver’s door then flew open and Mathers got out.
Mr Drummon said: “He walked straight up to me and punched me right above my right eye before any words were said.”
He added that he was hit at least four or five times around the face and needed three stitches in a cut above his right eye.
Defence solicitor Gerry Sweeney suggested that Mr Drummon had started the trouble by approaching Mathers’ vehicle shouting and swearing.
And he suggested that the pair ended up fighting, but Mr Drummon came off worst.
Mr Drummon said this was incorrect.
The trial continues.