Scots farmer mowed down boy, 12, in van after blaming kids for 'vandalism' on his land

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A farmer who blamed children for alleged vandalism on his land mowed down a 12-year-old boy in a horror hit and run. William Stewart ploughed into the innocent youngster after mounting the pavement in his dirty Iveco van.

The 70-year-old flew into a rage after spotting the victim and a group of friends in the area of Stewart's Hawkhead House Farm in Paisley, Renfrewshire, on October 12, 2022. The boy was hit as he tried to run away from the van. He was then left crumpled in agony as Stewart fled the scene.

Stewart struck, having months earlier warned he would "run down" a child for issues he was apparently having at the farmyard. But, he went on to instead tell jurors he had not meant to strike the boy and only wanted to stop him for "trespassing" on his land. Stewart was this week jailed for eight and a half years at the High Court in Glasgow.

He had earlier been convicted at a trial in Paisley of attempted murder. In his closing speech to jurors, prosecutor Graeme Jessop KC had stated: "It was a brutal attack on a 12-year-old boy.

"It was carried out by a man who, either in the heat of the moment, was intent on killing one of the children or simply did not care whether the youngster lived or died."

The court heard it was the first time the boy had been at the farm. Mr Jessop said the child and his friends were "up to nothing more than satisfying their curiosity - not causing any damage or stealing" that lunchtime.

Stewart came back to the farm and was "enraged". The youngsters spotted him and ran off, but the victim tripped and ended up behind the others.

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Mr Jessop said: "Stewart went after the children in his van, reversed then sped down the farm track. He did not slow for a left turn, spied the boy and deliberately swerved his van towards him. He swerved off the road onto the kerb, over the pavement into a driveway where struck the boy."

The victim recalled his ordeal in a police interview. The youngster said: "He started coming and I heard it, as it was like a pure roar. I thought the guy would stop after I got out his farm."

The child recalled "pure running as fast as I could". He added: "He was still chasing me and then he went crashing into me. Then it just happened - he went onto the pavement and ran me over."

The boy was initially not able to stand back up. He was "screaming" in pain, his shoe was burst and there was a trail of blood. One woman saw the attack and described Stewart "full-on hitting" the boy. A friend of the victim said the youngster was struck "on purpose".

Stewart gave evidence during the trial. He claimed he had only wanted to get in front of the boy and "block" him for apparently "trespassing" on his farm. Stewart insisted he had not meant to hit him. He said: "If I knew he was hurt as bad I would have been the first person to phone an ambulance."

The court heard the young victim suffered severe foot injuries and is scarred for life. He was in a wheelchair for several weeks and missed a large part of the school year.

The court heard Stewart had previously threatened to a witness in June 2022 that he would "run down" a child following complaints of six months of alleged vandalism to windows and a tractor at his farm. Mr Jessop: "Lo and behold, that is exactly what he does."

Sentencing, Judge David Young KC said Stewart had used his van as a "weapon". He added: "It is no doubt frustration that led you to turn your van around that day, but obviously frustration cannot justify your actions."

In 2015, Stewart - described in reports at the time as a "millionaire scrap dealer" - was fined at Paisley Sheriff Court for breaching environmental laws at the farm.

He was then initially chased under the Proceeds of Crime Act amid claims he had earned £1.2m of dirty money by illegally dealing in the trade of tractor and digger parts from his home. Prosecutors had wanted to claw back £65,000, but the case against Stewart was eventually binned.

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