Walsall road-rage driver posed as 'undercover officer'
A driver claiming to be an undercover police officer flew into a rage, hurling a stream of racist abuse at a man before swerving his car towards him and his wife, a court heard.
Stephen Lawlor was given a suspended jail term after he admitted dangerous driving and racially aggravated harassment.
Magistrates were told Lawlor, from Walsall, got into an argument with Dheraj Muman as the pair were driving towards PC World in Wednesbury.
Mr Mark Cooper, prosecuting, told the court: "This incident occurred at 10pm on May 10. The complainant said 'what are you doing following the car?' and the defendant responds: 'I'm an undercover police officer'."
Mr Cooper said Lawlor then launched a torrent of racial abuse and drove his Ford Fiesta towards Mr Muman and his wife at the store car park on Axletree Way, Wednesbury. Mr Muman avoided being hit and filmed Lawlor's driving on his phone.
Lawlor, aged 59, was later charged with dangerous driving and racially aggravated harassment which he pleaded guilty to at an earlier hearing.
Mr David Nash, defending, said that his client accepted what he had done, but claimed he was usually a man who helped others. Lawlor, of Glebe Street, Walsall, was given 90 days imprisonment for the dangerous driving and 30 for the racial abuse, suspended for 12 months. He was also made subject to a curfew between the hours of 11pm and 7am and made to pay £200 in costs, £200 compensation to Mr Muman and a victim surcharge of £80.
An interim driving disqualification made at an earlier hearing was also extended to 18 months.
