Ex-Lover Rammed at High Speed
DARREN Muscat fell in love at the age of 21 and was jilted by a cougar twice his age.
His 44-year-old lover left him for an older man and Muscat got angry and sent her 49 text messages in one afternoon.
He stalked her and her new partner, waited on the Peak Downs Hwy for them to drive past, and then he rammed them several times at high speed, trying to force them over the Eton Range.
Muscat spent 67 days in custody after the Eton Range incident before he was let out on bail with a special condition that he received psychological counselling, which cost him $4000.
Now aged 23, Muscat originally faced two charges of attempted murder but those charges were withdrawn in the Mackay Magistrates Court yesterday.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving last October 29.
Muscat parked beside the highway and waited for his ex-lover and her new 33-year-old boyfriend to drive past. He followed them and rammed them several times from behind at high speed, prosecutor Senior Sergeant Matt Saunders said.
The rammed vehicle also crashed into guard rails and road signs.
Eventually the male driver was able to accelerate away and flag down a police vehicle. Muscat surrendered to Walkerston police later in the day.
His solicitor Bill Potts said: “He fell into a relationship with a substantially older woman.
“He was jilted by a cougar who was in the relationship more for her own needs and not his.
“His dream world was built on smoke, mist and mirrors.
“The relationship was highly disapproved of by his family and friends.”
Muscat was enraged and extremely upset when the relationship broke up, Mr Potts said.
“He had a brain explosion under extreme circumstances,” Mr Potts said.
Muscat was jailed for 18 months, to be released on parole immediately, and he was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
He cannot contact the other couple for five years.
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