A north-east man swung a baseball bat and issued threats after becoming irate following a dispute with a fellow driver.
Steven Adair was in a stationary car on Ferryhill Court in Aberdeen when he was asked to move his vehicle so another could get past.
The conditions made this difficult as the incident took place on February 28 this year when the Beast from the East was affecting the region.
Adair told the person who made this request that his partner was collecting a takeaway, but was then approached and pushed to the ground.
His partner emerged and took a picture of the vehicle’s registration plate and as it drove off she was struck by the wing mirror.
Adair lost his temper in response to this and drove off after the car.
He eventually caught up with it on Bon Accord Street where he stopped at a 45-degree angle in front of it.
He subsequently pulled a baseball bat out of the boot and began to swing it in the air while shouting “we have got your reg plate” and swearing.
The two distressed occupants of the other vehicle called the police and Adair was detained shortly after with the bat found in his boot.
The 28-year-old had been due to go on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday, but pleaded guilty to causing a disturbance and threatening behaviour in advance.
Fiscal depute Lixia Sun said the initial disturbance in which Adair had been pushed to the ground had been captured by an independent witness who recorded it on a mobile phone.
Representing him, defence agent Jennifer Pritchard said: “He accepts he should not have behaved in this way.
“He is disappointed in himself, he had been out of trouble for a number of years.”
Imposing a sentence, Sheriff Graeme Buchanan said: “What you did was completely wrong, but I understand there was a significant degree of provocation.”
He ordered Adair, of Glenbervie Road in Aberdeen, to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
