A ROAD rage motorist who attacked another driver for tailgating and shouting abuse at him has been ordered to do unpaid work.

Father-of-four David Curley, 45, admitted assaulting a man at the Costa Coffee drive-thru at Ashenyards Park, off the A78 between Stevenston and Kilwinning, last year.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court was told that Curley had been driving along the A78 on September 28 with his partner and 13-year-old son in the car.

At around 1.20pm he noticed another vehicle behind him straddling both lanes and braking harshly.

Curley’s solicitor said the other driver was completely unknown to her client and the car sped towards him, passed by then went into the lane in front.

Curley later passed the vehicle before being tailgated for a mile and a half and overtaken again.

Defence solicitor Ashley Kane told the February 16 hearing: “He had no idea who this was or why he was driving in this manner.

“Both vehicles made it to a roundabout. The complainer passed him and shouted out of his window and gestured to him.

"As a result of that, Mr Curley pulled up at Costa Coffee where the complainer had gone through the drive-thru and parked. He [Curley] got out of his vehicle and confronted him.

“The complainer told him to ‘go f**k himself’.”

After an argument ensued, Curley punched the man twice to the face while the complainer was in his car.

An off-duty policewoman who was in the car in front of the complainer witnessed the assault and grabbed Curley by the arms.

At that stage the complainer got out and started to punch and kick Curley, the court heard.

Ms Kane added: “Mr Curley then kicked out at him to get him away from assaulting him. He accepts that he should never have assaulted this man.

“He took issue with the fact that he put his son in danger with the way he was driving. He has a record of some age and nothing with violence.

“This was a one-off. He is not normally the type of man who behaves in this manner.”

Sheriff Sheena Fraser said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and you must understand that.

“In all the circumstances I am persuaded that it was a one-off situation however abhorrent.”

Curley, of Glenapp Place, Kilwinning, was ordered to do 50 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to a fine.