Car passenger tried to murder driver and two children by grabbing wheel and pulling on handbrake

A car passenger tried to murder a driver and two children in the vehicle after grabbing the steering wheel and pulling on the handbrake.

Steven Phillipson’s actions led to the car veering off the road and rolling over, resulting in injury to victims and endangered their lives in the crash on the A941 near the village of Fogwatt, near Elgin, in Morayshire.

A prosecutor told the High Court in Edinburgh that Phillipson caused the crash and “gambled with the lives of the occupants”.

Advocate depute Martin Crawford told a jury that he invited them to find that he was trying to cause a car crash and it posed “obvious danger”.

He said a picture had emerged in evidence of Phillipson on the day of the murder bid being intoxicated, irrational and violent and said that he was acting with “wicked recklessness as to the fate of those in the car”.

Phillipson, 34, denied a series of charges during a trial but was found guilty of assaulting and attempting to murder the woman and the children, aged nine and three, by grabbing and pulling the steering wheel and applying the handbrake, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and roll over to their injury and to the danger of their lives on June 11 in 2023.

He was also convicted of attacking the woman at a flat in Rothes, in Moray, on the same date when he punched her and stamped on her wrist and assaulting the boy who was pushed.

Phillipson, who has amassed 24 previous convictions including for serious assault and threatening and abusive behaviour, was also found guilty of abducting the woman and children on the same day when he shouted and swore, locked a door at the flat and removed a key preventing them leaving.

During his evidence Phillipson told the court: “I never pulled the handbrake.” He claimed it would have to have been the woman driver who did it.

Phillipson said he got into the car as he was needing a lift to Elgin. He said he previously consumed valium, a painkiller and a drug he described as “for coming off heroin”.

One witness at the crash scene said Phillipson appeared unsteady on his feet and heard the woman shout that he pulled the handbrake and steering wheel.

Phillipson was initially remanded in custody following an initial court appearance but was later released on bail and remained on bail during his trial.

But following the jury verdicts the trial judge revoked his bail and remanded him in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing next month.

Judge Olga Pasportnikov told him: “You have been convicted of four charges, very serious charges, in particular charge four (the attempted murder charge). I don’t consider anything other than a custodial sentence is appropriate.”