Driver ‘laughed manically’ as terrified passengers pleaded for him to stop

A driver “laughed manically” and ignored pleas from his terrified passengers to let them out, a court heard.

William Ratter was found guilty of threatening behaviour, through his “erratic” driving and refusal to stop, following a trial last

Thursday.The 55-year-old from Haroldswick in Unst argued with the procurator fiscal, fell out of the witness stand and claimed claimed the charge was “nonsense”.

But Sheriff Ian Cruickshank was persuaded by the evidence, which included a video of the late night car journey in which Ratter’s “manic” laughing and “hollering” could be heard over the desperate pleas of his passengers.

The incident happened in the early hours of 23rd July, last year, after a dance at Baltasound hall, as part of Unstfest.

A group of four colleagues, who had been working for Historic Environment Scotland at SaxaVord Spaceport, attended the dance and were trying to get back to their accommodation in Haroldswick.

They thought the bus was free – but when it arrived they were told it cost £5.

Carrying no cash, they decided to walk back - a journey they expected to take a couple of hours.

So when a car pulled and offered them a lift, the court heard they were pleased to take it.

One of the passengers, appearing as a witness via video-link, said: “It all seemed quite friendly so we gratefully accepted.”

The witness, a 36-year-old woman, said the driver was unknown to the group but introduced himself as “Willie”.

Asked by procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie to describe Ratter’s driving, she replied: ”Quite fast and erratic.

“We asked him to slow down.

“We were quite scared.”

After what started off as a positive interaction, we all started feeling quite nervous.”

The witness said she and other passengers asked him to slow down - but instead he laughed and seemed to drive more quickly.

She said she felt “trapped” in the car and tried pleading with the driver to let her out.

When asked by the fiscal how Ratter had responded, the witness described his laughing as “manic” and said “he did not seem lucid”.

“Which made it even more scary,” she added.

At this point, the witness started filming with her mobile phone, to provide evidence in case “something really terrible happened.”

The short clip was played out in court, and the witness confirmed the sound of laughter and hollering was Ratter.

Another passenger, a 26-year-old woman now working in childcare, said Ratter’s driving made her feel “very anxious and upset”.

Asked whether she sounded “terrified” in the video, she agreed

The witness said her smart watch recorded a top speed of 57.5mph during the journey, which was winding single track roads.

Defence agent Tommy Allan asked the witnesses how much they had been drinking and whether they had been aware that Ratter’s car was missing its exhaust making it extremely noisy.

He suggested they may have been “over reacting” as they were unfamiliar with the roads or Ratter’s car.

Mr Allan tried to make a motion for “no case to answer” as he suggested Ratter had been neither “threatening” nor “abusive” as stated in the charge.

However, Sheriff Cruickshank denied it and the hearing continued.Ratter - also known as Ballard - was the only defence witness.

He claimed the lift had been offered as an “act of kindness” - and it was a “nonsense” that he was facing the charges.

The 55-year-old said he had been out that night taking photos and insisted he had not been drinking.

The accused denied his driving had been reckless or excessively fast  – and even insisted his car was incapable of achieving such speeds.

“It’s like putting a jockey on a donkey and telling it to win the Grand National,” he said.

Ratter said his laughing was not “manic” but rather a “nervous giggle”.

He said he was nervous because all the screaming and hollering ”brought back memories of my ex-wife”.

Ratter claimed he had been unable to hear his passengers’ pleading for much of the journey. 

And when he did eventually hear them he claimed it was unsafe to stop.

He said he pulled over as soon as it was safe to do so.

During a heated exchange, the fiscal had to remined the accused: “I’m the one asking the questions here.”Soon after, Ratter fell out of the witness stand.

Summing up, Mr Allan accepted what happened was “unfortunate” and that the passengers had “not reacted well” to the situation.

However, the solicitor suggested that did not mean a crime had been committed and asked the sheriff to give Ratter the benefit of the doubt.

Sheriff Cruickshank said he did not accept that Ratter was unaware of the repeated requests to stop – and therefore found him guilty.

However, the sheriff amended aspects of the charge as he did not believe the evidence proved Ratter had been driving at “grossly excessive speed” or “weaving back and forth”.

Sheriff Cruickshank adjourned the hearing for the preparation of reports ahead of sentencing.