A man who swerved his Mini Cooper into the path of his estranged wife's car on a narrow road, before driving towards her at speed, has been jailed.
William Reid, 46, skidded to a halt, blocking the road near Maddiston, Falkirk, as his wife Annemarie was driving home to the nearby village of Whitecross after being told he had turned up at her house uninvited.
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that about 10.30 pm, on Vellore Road, Maddiston, Annemarie, 45, spotted Reid driving towards her, alone.
Prosecutor Danielle McDonald said: "He swerved his car across the road, and blocked it so she couldn't get past."
Ms McDonald said this made Mrs Reid "extremely scared", and she started reversing to get away.
However, Reid "drove towards her at speed several times, revving his engine loudly, and braking hard".
Ms McDonald said at one point two other cars were present which could also not get past, as the road was blocked.
Reid then drove off "at high speed".
Mrs Reid managed to get away and drove home where she phoned police to report what Ms McDonald, the depute fiscal, described as "the reckless driving and intimidation".
The other cars that had been blocked were then able to proceed, and a little further on saw Reid's blue Mini Cooper on its roof on the right hand side of the carriageway, which was littered with debris.
Reid was trapped inside by the roof of the car, which had collapsed completely.
One of the other motorists stayed with Reid, talking to him, until "several" ambulance and fire engines arrived.
Ms McDonald said: "The accused was eventually removed from the wreckage".
He was taken to the Forth Valley Royal Infirmary and placed in an induced coma in intensive care, due to head injuries.
Reid, of Westfield, Falkirk, who appeared for sentence by video link on Thursday, May 20, from Low Moss Prison, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving, aggravated by involving domestic abuse. The incident occurred on August 21st 2020.
Defence solicitor Mark Fallon said Reid had tried to kill himself after the incident - because he had been prevented from seeing his son, then 15.
Mr Fallon said: "He advises that he felt if he could not see his son he could see no point or reason to live and he was trying to crash into a tree.
"He missed the tree, and crashed the car."
He said Reid - now divorced from Annemarie, to whom he had been married for 26 years - had very little recollection of the night of the incident due to the head injuries he received.
Mr Fallon said: "He has been left with problems with communicating and with memory."
Sheriff Craig Harris jailed Reid for six months, banned him from driving for 39 months, and made a non-harassment order preventing him from approaching or contacting Annemarie for two years.
He said: "This was quite appalling, shocking conduct and intimidation, causing danger to your estranged wife and other road users, and ultimately, in the way you drove off, to yourself."
