A frightened Moray barmaid called the police after being followed as she walked home from work in the early hours of the morning.
Married man Mohammed Essid, of Fochabers, repeatedly drove past Sarah Mills in Elgin after her shift ended at Joanna’s nightclub.
At one point the 32-year-old pulled up alongside Miss Mills and spoke to her, which prompted the Miss Mills to call the police.
After being traced by officers in Fochabers, Essid accelerated and led police on a high-speed pursuit before it transpired he only had a provisional driving licence.
Yesterday the 32-year-old appeared at Elgin Sheriff Court for sentencing after he previously admitted committing four offences on November 13 last year.
Fiscal Alex Swain said Miss Mills first became aware of the car following her at about 3.30am.
She described Eddis driving past her on Bishopmill Brae, stopping near her, driving off, and then coming past her again in the opposite direction.
Mrs Swain said: “At this point she was becoming increasingly concerned by the behaviour and contacted her boyfriend to let her know what was happening.
“A short time later the accused drove back towards her. She noticed that the accused then drove past her a further three times.
“This was before he eventually stopped the car next to Miss Mills and wound down the window and said something unknown to her because she was still on the phone.”
Police traced Eddis shortly before 4.30am in Fochabers. When the officers tried to stop him on the village’s High Street he overtook them and drove “significantly exceeding” the speed limit.
At one point his Peugeot mounted the kerb before turning into residential streets. When officers caught up with him they discovered he had no insurance.
Defence solicitor Robert Cruickshank said his client had “panicked” and accepted he should not have been driving the car.
He added: “My client is very sorry that the person named was alarmed by his conduct. He was very little explanation as to why he has done that.”
Sheriff Chris Dickson said the incident was “concerning behaviour”.
Essid, of Spey Street in Fochabers, was sentenced to 144 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 14 months after admitting a breach of the peace, dangerous driving, driving with no insurance and with a provisional licence with no learner plates.
