Anger as driver who “brake-checked” HGV on motorway keeps licence

A LORRY driver has angrily condemned a court for letting a motorist who appeared to “brake-check” him on a busy motorway escape with a fine and points.

Shocking video of the incident shows the car brake and come within a few inches of the HGV on at least two occasions on the M8.

The driver was originally charged with dangerous driving but two years later, at Glasgow Sheriff Court, he plead guilty to a less serious charge of careless driving.

Instead of losing his licence and facing a lengthy ban, the driver was given just seven points and an £810 fine.

The lorry driver, Gareth Owens, said today: “I am not happy with him only getting seven points and the £810 fine. He should have lost his licence and the sheriff should have banned him from driving for 12 months or more, plus a bigger fine.”

Gareth added: “If I had not been so alert, and had not had a empty trailer, things would have been different. If I was loaded to my legal weight of 44 tons I would have hit him and maybe other vehicles would have got caught up in it.”

Mr Owens also criticised the fact it took so long for the case to come to court, during which time the dangerous driving charge was “downgraded” to a plea of guilty to careless driving.

Mr Owens claimed the case was adjourned five times as a result of legal arguments.

A spokesman for campaign group Scotland’s Worst Drivers said: “In our view the driver should have lost his licence.

“Had the HGV vehicle been fully loaded there most certainly would have been a collision here as the driver just wouldn’t have been able to stop in time.

“Hopefully he takes the leniency of the court as a serious wake up call, and will think twice before ever driving in this manner again.”

A spokeswoman at Glasgow Sheriff Court confirmed the name of driver as Daniel Easson although his age and address are not presently known.

The spokeswoman also confirmed that on September 18, Mr Easson pled guilty to a charge of careless driving and was fined £810 and given seven penalty points on his licence.

Mr Owens was approaching junction 15 of the M8 in Glasgow in August 2015 when the incident happened.

A Renault Captura undertakes the lorry, pulls in front, and brakes sharply. Mr Owens swerves in to the fast lane.

The Renault again pulls in front of the lorry and brakes sharply and this time a collision is only narrowly avoided.