Drink driver who tried to mow men down over garden wall row jailed for three years

A DRINK driver who went after two men at speed during a row about a wall has been jailed for more than three years.

Jamie O’Boyle was behind the wheel of his father’s Mercedes when he targeted George Higgins and Richard Doherty in Glasgow’s Croftfoot on January 15 2022.

Mr Doherty – a cousin of O’Boyle – managed to leap to safety, but Mr Higgins was struck on the legs.

The 31-year-old went on to brandish a “spear” – a metal pole with a knife attached – at the men while yelling: “I am stabbing you.”

O’Boyle today returned to the High Court in Glasgow to be sentenced.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to 10 charges including assaulting both victims to their danger of their lives.

Judge William Gallacher jailed O’Boyle for a total of 40 months today.

O’Boyle will also be subject to a 12-month supervised release order when he is freed.

Prosecutor Simon Gilbride told how there had been “disagreements and arguments” about the building work carried out in December 2021.

Mr Doherty had initially gone outside on the night of the attack to collect an e-cigarette from a car when he spotted O’Boyle behind the wheel of his dad’s motor.

He had taken the Mercedes without his permission.

O’Boyle yelled at him: “You are getting done.”

Mr Higgins then came outside to check on Mr Doherty. The men were standing on a grassy area when O’Boyle sped at them and mounted the kerb.

Mr Gilbride: “Mr Doherty jumped over a wall, however, the vehicle struck Mr Higgins on the legs causing him to flip onto and over the car.”

A resident then captured on a mobile phone O’Boyle getting out the motor, picking up the weapon lying on the pavement and then lunge at the pair.

O’Boyle, of Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, fled the scene, but was later arrested and found to be almost three times over the drink drive limit.

He stated to officers: “George should be dead after what I done to him.”

Mr Higgins suffered a sore back, neck and legs as well as breathing difficulties. The danger to their lives was described as “potential”.

The court was told O’Boyle had not brought the pole with the knife attached to the scene.

Despite then being on bail, O’Boyle got himself in more bother after refusing to leave a pub in Glasgow’s Saltmarket on August 13 2022.

He made homophobic remarks to one constable as well as threatening to “slash” and “murder” officers who arrested him.

The court was told at the last hearing that O’Boyle had been “piggy in the middle” in the dispute over the construction work.

He had helped organise for a friend to have a wall built.

But, the £600 payment was withheld as the person was not happy with the work carried out.

O’Boyle’s KC Tony Graham told the last hearing that Mr Higgins and Mr Doherty “then took it upon themselves to demolish the wall”.

This eventually lead to a drunken O’Boyle later going after them.

Mr Graham today said: “This is a situation of a trivial disagreement that was blown out of all proportion.”

Judge Gallacher told O’Boyle that, whatever the background, he had still got himself involved in “very significant behaviour”.