A children’s football coach who mowed down a police officer in his powerful Range Rover has walked free from court.
Stephen Gibson, from Rutherglen , sent PC Martin Foye hurtling through the air in October last year.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the 31-year-old had gone to his estranged wife’s home amid claims he was struggling with the break-up.
PC Foye luckily escaped any serious injury following the hit-and-run in Cambuslang.
Gibson, who coaches youngsters for Giffnock North, could have faced jail on Friday having admitted to a charge of dangerous driving.
Sheriff Andrew Cubie instead ordered him to do 250 hours of unpaid work and banned him from the road for two years.
He told Gibson: “This was a serious offence as the circumstances involve injury to a police officer and damage to cars.
“Why you went to your wife in the early hours of the morning is beyond me.
“It was unwelcome and she phoned the police. She did not play a part in this.
“You panicked and your actions were criminal.”
Gibson was also hit with a six-month restriction of liberty order.
A previous hearing was told how PC Foye and a colleague tried to stop Gibson after he smacked his 4x4 into another car.
But Gibson yelled at the officers: “I am not stopping. I am going for it.”
His lawyer told the court Gibson had argued with his estranged wife before leaving her home.
Billy Lavelle, defending, added: “He was struggling with the situation as they were together for 10 years. It was his first relationship.
“He left in his car but thought he would be arrested when the police arrived.
“He wishes to apologise to the police officer.”
Gibson had initially gone to trial last month before prosecutors accepted his guilty plea.
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