A racist woman who mounted the pavement with her car and drove at her Polish neighbours has been allowed to keep her licence.
Marie Sey or Harper berated her neighbours and told them to go back to Poland before driving along the pavement on Marquis Road, Aberdeen, stopping “just inches” from them.
But despite the terrifying incident, and another separate driving offence, the 35-year-old has not been banned from driving and instead got penalty points.
Fiscal depute Jennifer Pritchard told Aberdeen Sheriff Court two of Harper’s neighbours were in the back garden of their block of flats around 10am on August 8 2020.
‘Unresolved historical issues’
Harper also entered the garden and gestured before “shouting and screaming” towards them for “no apparent reason”.
One of the neighbours attempted to establish what the issue was, but this “seemed to anger her further”.
Harper told them: “Get the f*** out, go back to your f***ing country, f*** off back to Poland.”
Two of Harper’s neighbours then left to walk to a nearby shop.
As they were walking back home along Marquis Road around 1pm they “became aware of the accused’s vehicle behind them”.
Harper’s car was then seen “mounting the pavement and coming to a stop just inches from them”.
Harper then shouted at them to “f*** off back to Poland”.
In a separate incident, on June 16 2021, Harper pulled up behind a woman that she had “unresolved historical issues” with as she drove along Berryden Road.
Harper then proceeded to follow the woman in such close proximity that she was unable to see Harper’s number plate.
‘Ongoing difficulties’
During the journey, the woman became so concerned that she contacted a friend and the police as she was worried that Harper was following her home.
At 2.35pm, the woman pulled up outside her home in Aberdeen and Harper also stopped behind her.
Harper approached the woman and pulled her hair, initiating a scuffle between the pair.
In the course of the struggle, Harper bit the woman on the arm, drawing blood, before getting back in her car.
Police quickly traced Harper, who told officers she had “followed the complainer’s vehicle in order to fight with her”.
Harper, of Kaimhill Road, Garthdee, pled guilty acting in a racially aggravated manner and careless driving in relation to the first incident.
And she also admitted careless driving and assault to injury over the second matter.
‘Language made things worse’
Both driving offences were originally libelled as dangerous driving, however, pleas were accepted to the reduced offences of driving without due care and attention.
Defence agent Chris Maitland said there were also “ongoing difficulties” between his client and the complainers in the first matter, who were her neighbours at the time.
He said there had been no repeat of her behaviour.
Mr Maitland said that a couple of days prior to that offence, Harper had been “assaulted” by one of the complainers.
That had been reported to police but the matter was “not proceeded with”.
He said: “Unfortunately, she took her anger at what had happened on the complainers.
“The language she was using made things worse.
“She accepts responsibility and expresses regret for her behaviour in both incidents.”
Sheriff Eric Brown, dealing with both matters together, imposed an eight-month supervision order and nine penalty points.
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