AN APRIL fool who knocked an elderly cyclist off his bike after speeding into a train station car park told a court he thought he had hit a pothole.

Representing himself in the dock at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court, John Stitt claimed his dangerous driving last year was down to him being overworked and overtired.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to a single charge of driving at excessive speed in Kilwinning railway station car park on April 1, 2022, negotiating a roundabout in the wrong direction, failing to maintain a proper lookout and colliding with a bicycle, causing the cyclist to fall from the bike onto the ground.

At last Thursday's (March 23) hearing, the procurator fiscal depute said a taxi driver parked in a bay facing the booking office at the station witnessed the incident at around 9pm on the night.

The fiscal depute said: "The witness noticed a black car enter the car park travelling too fast.

"The car swerved and cut right at the bottom of the road going the wrong way round the roundabout.

"An older male was riding his bike across the road at the roundabout and as the black car turned right it hit and knocked the male off his bike causing him to go flying."

The cyclist was lying on the ground after being hit as Stitt parked his car nearby and made his way over to the man, the court heard.

After getting himself up, the cyclist and Stitt had a brief conversation and the taxi driver who watched the incident unfold was said to have noticed Stitt appeared to be in a rush.

He then made his way into the booking office and never came back out.

Police at the station were contacted and officers viewed CCTV which showed the incident in full.

Stitt, of Stobbs Crescent in Kilwinning, told the court: "I did cut the roundabout, it was bad judgement.

"I didn't see him at all, I thought it was a pothole I had hit.

"I went over to speak to him and he said he was fine. He just wanted to go home and didn't want to report it.

"It was just really bad judgement."

He added: "I was probably overtired; I was working seven days a week at that point, I was exhausted."

Sheriff Alistair Watson fined Stitt £420, to be paid within 28 days, and disqualified him from driving for 12 months. He must also pass an extended test before obtaining a licence.