A former soldier has been handed an 18-month driving ban after his own dashcam recorded him in a road rage chase through Caerphilly.
Nigel Camplin, 55, accused driver Colin Evans of “cutting him up” at a roundabout on the A469 near St Cenydd Comprehensive School, before embarking on a four-mile chase through busy town roads.
Camplin, of Maesycwmmer, consistently broke the speed limit and tailgated Mr Evans on May 31.
Cardiff Crown Court was shown a 12-minute DVD containing footage from the dashcam in Camplin’s car, in which he was heard shouting “I’m going to kill you” in an expletive-laden outburst.
Prosecutor Jason Howells said: “He believed Mr Evans had cut him up at a roundabout and he saw red.
“He had wanted to sort out the incident but accepted he had been aggressive. He put others in danger.”
The court also heard that Camplin, who served in the Royal Corps of Signals for over 20 years, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Judge Jeremy Jenkins banned Camplin from driving for 18 months, handed him an eight-month suspended prison sentence, and said he was taking a “wholly exceptional course of action” in not sending him to prison.
He added: “You completely lost your self-control and should not have been behind the wheel of your car.”
Camplin was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and must pay £535 in costs.
Why do some people turn into raging monsters when they are behind the wheel of a car, this kind of behavior on our public roads is wholly unacceptable, many incidents of this nature sadly end in the death of an innocent person, pedestrians walking along busy high streets do not behavior like this if somebody accidentally gets in their way so why do it whilst driving.
Personal space syndrome, some Psychologists suggest that when people get into vehicles it is an extension of their personal space. In other words for example, when you are in a close relationship with someone you are fine when they get in your personal space, say to give a hug or a kiss. Yet this space is not something most people would be comfortable sharing with a complete stranger. The suggestion is that vehicles are often seen as an extension of that personal space and this is why some people react in the way they do. You are absolutely right when you say that sometimes the actions of people who display this type of behaviour ends in tragedy for other Innocent people, and is unacceptable. I only hope that the gentleman concerned uses the time that he is banned to reflect on his actions and the tragic consequences that could have occurred.
We shouldn’t give it a label – ‘personal space syndrome’ this simply gives folk an excuse for their bad behaviour and spew out the usual rhetoric that’s it’s not their fault, just like the many other politically correct syndromes that have been invented by lefty luvvies to justify the behaviour of individuals who are out of control and have a bad attitude toward others.
This is hardly an isolated incident. He has a well known reputation in the village for screaming and swearing at people who make the mistake of parking outside his house while collecting children from Maesycwmmer school.
It doesn’t appear he has been told to seek treatment for his alleged PTSD leaving me to wonder what he is going to do next now his situation is more stressful.