THREE men who subjected a motorist to a violent road rage style attack escaped punishment yesterday after a sheriff ruled that the case had taken too long to come to court.
Gavin Muir, 20, Scott Gall, 19, and 18-year-old Stuart Wright, all from Inverurie, were admonished after admitting assaulting motorist David Hardie in the town.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard they had been passengers in a car in September last year. The lights were flashed at the car driven by Mr Hardie, who pulled up and the three men also got out.
When Mr Hardie asked what was wrong, Gall punched him in the face and the other two joined in a a sustained attack as he lay on the ground and ended when a passer-by shouted at them.
Sheriff Alexander Jessop said the case had taken an inordinate length of time to bring to court, considering the three had no previous convictions for assault.
He admonished the three on the grounds of the length of time Muir, of Morningside Drive, and neighbours Gall and Wright, both of Barravale, had had the charges hanging over them.
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