An Edinburgh taxi driver has walked free, following a "bizarre" confrontation with an Edinburgh Airport boss.
Iain Hunter, 60, was called to appear in court following an incident that took place last May involving Edinburgh Airport's Chief Executive, Gordon Dewar.
The court heard how Mr Dewar “sprinted” the entire length of the airport car park to confront Mr Hunter, who was allegedly parked in a prohibited area.
Mr Dewar is said to have then sat on the bonnet of Mr Hunter’s car and began videoing the cabbie's licence plates.
According to the defence, the taxi driver became concerned for his safety, prompting him to attempt to drive away from the scene.
Sheriff Flinn heard how Mr Hunter started driving “slowly” towards Mr Dewar and then struck him - but didn’t cause him any injuries.
Following the incident, Mr Hunter allegedly called Mr Dewar a “p***k” and drove off.
Defence solicitor Paul Dunne insisted that the incident would not have happened were it not for Mr Dewar's "bizarre behaviour".
He said: “This incident would not have occurred if it wasn’t for the bizarre behaviour of Mr Dewar. His behaviour caused the entire incident to escalate out of control.
“I would ask your lordship to deal with this matter by way of absolute discharge. He has no previous convictions and no outstanding cases.
“If the matter cannot be dealt by way of absolute discharge then Mr Hunter will have to appear before the taxi licensing committee of Edinburgh City Council.”
“His vehicle has slight contact but not so much as to cause Mr Dewar to take a step back. It is the merest of touches”, he said.
Mr Dunne said that if Mr Dewar was concerned that the taxi driver was parked in a prohibited area, he could have check CCTV cameras to establish his identity.
He added: “None of this would have taken place if it were not for a chief executive who it would appear has nothing better to do than to enforce taxi parking regulations.
“I think it is fair to say that none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Mr Dewar’s behaviour.”
Mr Dunne also raised concerns after police and the Crown weren’t able to disclose CCTV footage of the full incident, stating that no footage recovered captured the entire confrontation.
Mr Dunne added: “I find it impossible to believe that there’s not a square inch of Edinburgh Airport not covered by CCTV.
“It seems a little odd.”
While Mr Hunter pleaded guilty to a breach of the peace charge, Sheriff Flinn granted him absolute discharge - enabling him to continue work as a taxi driver as he will not have a criminal record.
