A dad-of-two who narrowly avoided running over the deputy head of his children’s school says he’s been left mortified by the experience.
Kenneth Onyegbule was picking up his two daughters from Harlaw Academy when he drove his car towards Janet Rennie after she asked him to move his vehicle.
The 52-year-old had been parked half on the road and half on the pavement and was blocking access for a school bus, Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told.
Fiscal depute Lewis Devoy said that when Ms Rennie asked to move Onyegbule “waved her away” before his silver Kia “lurched forward”.
Waved her away and drove off
“She tried to ask him to move his vehicle away as it was somewhat blocking a school bus,” the fiscal said. “He has not replied and has waved her away.
“At this point, she moved further forward and stood in front of the car at which point it lurched forward several feet.
“It suddenly accelerated before coming to an abrupt halt and braking one to two feet in front of her.
“The accused thereafter removed the vehicle from the pavement and drove off.”
Onyegbule denied driving dangerous but admitted a lesser charge of driving without due care and attention outside the Albyn Place School on December 11, 2020.
He was not personally present in the dock but his defence agent Gregor Kelly told the court his client was a “responsible family man” and worked as a project manager in the renewable energy sector.
‘It was not intentional’
“He has asked me to stress he is truly apologetic and it was not intentional,” Mr Kelly said.
“He is a responsibly family man, a professional man, educated to masters standard and he considers himself to be risk-averse.
“He tells me on the day in question it was dark, the street lights were on and he was picking up his daughters while it was busy.
“Along with a number of other cars he had put his tyres up on the pavement.
“He was not aware that the school bus was in close proximity. The teacher told him the bus was needing in and he maintains he was moving at her request when she moved to the front.
‘He hammered on the brakes’
“He did accelerate and that was towards her but that was because she had moved by the time he carried out his checks.
“He hammered on the brakes and raised a hand to apologise, went home and was mortified when police arrived to speak with him.”
Appealing for Onyegbule to be spared a driving ban, Mr Kelly argued a license was vital for his client’s work and that the incident had served him as a “shot across the bows”.
Sheriff Robert Vaughan fined Onyegbule, of Bannermill Place, Aberdeen a total of £320 and handed him four penalty points.
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