Pele Leapai faces Ipswich court after fiery road rage incident

An Ipswich magistrate has scolded a 52-year-old dad in court, telling him he should know better than to tailgate a woman, call her a ‘f****ing b**ch’, and stop his car in the middle of a road to open her door.

An Ipswich magistrate has scolded a 52-year-old dad, who is “ironically” employed as a driver, after he tailgated a woman, stopped his car in the middle of a road, and attempted to open her door in a fiery road rage incident.

Pele Leapai, 52, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday June 4 on four charges: Committing public nuisance, keeping a safe distance behind vehicles, unreasonably obstructing drivers or pedestrians, and vehicle overtaking – which he pleaded guilty to.

The court heard the Springfield father-of-two was driving along the Centenary Highway at Springfield Lakes on February 19, in the right lane behind a car he perceived to be driving below the speed limit of 100km/h.

Leapai tailgated the car at a distance so close the driver said she could not see his number plates.

Prosecutor Jonathon Waddington said the woman, according to her own recount of events, increased her speed to 108km/h in the hopes he would give her some space on the road.

He persisted and she moved into the left lane of the highway, raising her middle finger at him.

Leapai and the woman exited the highway on the same off-ramp. She was travelling directly behind him when he stopped his vehicle “in the middle of the road”.

The court heard he exited his car, walked towards her car, asked her if she gave him the middle finger, and attempted to open her car door.

Mr Waddington said the woman recalled him calling her a “f****ing b**ch”, though his version of events include him saying “yo b**ch” as he thought she was a friend of his from touch football.

Defence solicitor Tracey Kellen said her client was “embarrassed” about his actions and he was otherwise of good character, working 12 hours a day, six days a week as a driver.

She said Leapai was mature enough to understand the severity of his actions.

Magistrate Dennis Kinsella agreed the man should know better, and asked him how he would feel if someone was tailgating his daughter as he tailgated the woman.

“Shame on you,” Mr Kinsella said.

He said it was ironic Leapai was employed as a driver.

Having noted Leapai’s pleas of guilty, the fact he was a “family man” with responsibilities, his criminal history which featured three “dated” matters including two of violence, and his traffic history, Mr Kinsella decided to fine him $1000.

He said the sense of fear and the unknown Leapai would have instilled in the woman was not acceptable, particularly as his build was “quite broad”.

Mr Kinsella also referenced the fact this was the second time Leapai had committed an act of this nature in less than 12 months.

Convictions were recorded for each offence.