A MOTORIST who forced another driver to take evasive action to avoid a collision on the main road at the east end of Helensburgh has been convicted of dangerous driving.

James Gillespie denied charges of failing to comply with a left-hand turn road marking at a roundabout, attempting to overtake another vehicle dangerously, driving in an aggressive manner, failing to observe an adequate stopping distance to another vehicle, attempting to overtake it, driving alongside it, repeatedly driving towards it and repeatedly braking harshly, causing the other vehicle's driver to take evasive action to avoid a collision.

But he was found guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Monday of committing the offence while travelling eastbound on the A814 at and near the roundabout at Hermitage Academy.

Gillespie, who conducted his own defence, was also found guilty of contravening section 172 of the Road Traffic Act by failing to tell police who was driving the vehicle involved in the incident.

At a previous court hearing Gillespie, now 61, had been warned over his conduct as the presiding sheriff, Simon Pender, told him repeatedly to get to the point while questioning civilian and police witnesses.

That court hearing, in March, heard the driver of the other vehicle say that Gillespie had tried to overtake him on the inside lane of the roundabout, which is marked with a 'left turn only' arrow for entrance to Hermitage Academy, while both vehicles were heading out of Helensburgh towards Cardross at around 5.40pm on August 22, 2015.

The driver of the second vehicle said: “I was approaching the roundabout in the outer lane. He [Gillespie] tried to force his way to the front.

“My vehicle's back wheel scuffed the kerb on the central reservation of the roundabout.

“He was determined to get off the roundabout before I did.

“He was tailgating me directly after the roundabout. Within moments he was on my right-hand side. He came up to the side of me and started drawing his car in.

“Once I applied my brakes he overtook me. He started pumping his brakes. He did it twice.

“When I saw the road was clear I overtook him. But I had my whole car in front of him and he speeded up. The thought in my head was just to get out of this situation.”

The witness said his daughter, who was in the back left-hand seat of his car at the time, was “hysterical” because Gillespie's vehicle was “inches away” from his own as he went round the roundabout.

Gillespie, of West Bridgend, Dumbarton, was fined £400 for dangerous driving and £100 for failing to identify the driver of the vehicle.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to undertake an extended test of competency before being allowed to regain his licence.