A motorist, angry at the way a woman on front of him was driving, grabbed her ignition keys and threw them in her face, a court heard yesterday.
Brian Collins (21), Sandyford Road, Dublin, was banned from driving for six months after he pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Nicola Meade and interfering with her car at Nutley Avenue, Mount Merrion, on March 9th last year.
He was also fined a total of £450 and ordered to take a driving test before going back on the road.
Ms Meade told Dublin District Court that while on her way to work she saw a car driving aggressively behind her. "It seemed to fill up my rear window and seemed to be trying to pass me out." At one stage she had to brake when a car ahead of her turned into a golf club, forcing Collins to stop as well. She sounded her horn at him, and he then got out of his vehicle and came up to her window, which was open.
"He reached in and grabbed my keys and threw them into my face and was saying things I cannot remember." Other motorists came to her assistance and he drove off.
Since then she had encountered him again while driving to work and he stared at her so often that he had to be cautioned by gardai. She had since changed the route she takes to work.
Collins's solicitor said he was offering an unqualified apology for this "outrageous behaviour".
He was an apprentice electrician who was late for work on the morning of the incident. He was prepared to provide £1,000 compensation, and the solicitor appealed for him to be left with his licence as he needed to travel to work in Ballyfermot.
Judge Joseph Mangan ordered that the £450 fine be paid within a month or Collins would have to serve 15 days' imprisonment. He fixed recognisances for leave to appeal.