Driver pestered woman
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6 6 • Chester Crown Court was told that Uttoxeter lorry driver John Mellor pestered a woman motorist on the M6, making obscene gestures, and later falsified his tachograph chart to suggest he was elsewhere.
Mellor, of Marlborough Way, Uttoxeter, was given a conditional discharge for three years for attempting to pervert the course of justice. He was ordered to do 200 hours community service and disqualified from driving for two years for reckless driving. He was also ordered to pay £604 towards prosecution costs.
Steven Everett, prosecuting, said that as Fiona Parker left Sandbach Services she saw Mellor on the hard shoulder with his vehicle. He made an obscene gesture and mouthed an obscene phrase. He followed her, flashing his lights. He overtook on the hard shoulder and then slowed his vehicle to 20mph, before again moving on to the hard shoulder. Parker overtook him and he followed her again, overtaking her in the middle lane. Parker indicated left to come off the motorway. Mellor followed suit and left the motorway in front of her. Parker then used her indicators right, left and then right, and Mellor copied her. He then indicated to her to pull into a layby. He pulled in but she kept going. He followed her to the next roundabout where she managed to lose him.
When interviewed by the police, Mellor denied being at Sandbach Services. He produced a tachograph chart purported to be dated 3 March. However, the odometer readings on the charts dated the day before and the day after did not tally. It transpired that Mellor had recreated the journey in April, stopping the vehicle at a different time, and filling in the details on the chart to suggest it was made on 3 March. A search of Mellor's house revealed a chart for that day, the details of which tallied with Parker's evidence.
The court heard that Mellor had previously been prosecuted in Scotland for flashing his lights at a lady driver, pulling up beside her at traffic lights, asking her whether they could get it together, and then indecently exposing himself Defending, Wyn Lloyd Jones said that a car had cut Mellor up earlier in his journey, and he thought that it was driven by Parker. He lost his temper, not appreciating that a woman was driving the car.
Sentencing Mellor, Recorder Michael Nicholson said it was a disturbing case. Mellor must have been aware that he was following a woman, who he recklessly hounded, inducing panic. That was the last thing anyone wanted on a motorway.