A LORRY driver who tailgated a motorist for more than an hour, which involved driving close to her car bumper, flashing lights and tooting his horn, has been fined £1,200 at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Twenty-nine-year-old John Hutchison, of Whiteadder Close, Berwick-upon-Tweed, was initially charged with dangerous driving following the events on April 17 but had a guilty plea to the lesser charge of careless driving accepted by the Crown.

Prosecutor India McLean said the motorist first came across Hutchison, who was driving a haulage vehicle, between 1pm and 2pm on the A75 between Dumfries and Carlisle.

She described how he had tried to overtake the woman’s car on the dual carriageway but was unable to do so.

The fiscal said Hutchison began flashing his lights at the woman who could only see the lorry’s grill in her wing mirror because he was driving so close to her vehicle.

He made repeated attempts to overtake her, flashing lights and tooting his horn which continued on the A7 road to Hawick and on the A698 to Bonjedward before the woman eventually pulled in and contacted the police.

Hutchison’s lawyer claimed his client had been tooting his horn at a child when he went through Hawick but accepted the standard of his client’s driving was “not acceptable” and would have concerned the driver.

Sheriff Kevin McCarron said it was “an entirely unimpressive piece of driving from someone driving a commercial vehicle” and said the “irresponsible driving” had been matched by the efforts to explain the behaviour.

He told Hutchison: “You have come very close to losing your driving licence.”

The sheriff imposed eight penalty points on Hutchison’s licence and fined him £1,200 with a £75 victim surcharge.