Gangster killed father-of-two in 70mph fit of road rage

Paul Lyons, 28, consumed a cocktail of alcohol and drugs before he rammed Mark Fleeman off the M74 in Lanarkshire.

Mr Fleeman, 32, from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, died when his van was sent careering across the motorway near Larkhall.

Lyons, a well-known figure in the Glasgow underworld, fled to Spain after the crash. But he was extradited to Scotland after being arrested by Spanish police.

Yesterday at the High Court in Glasgow, he pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Mr Fleeman, a shopfitter and father of two, was driving to work along the M74 in the early hours of 4 June, 2009, when Lyons repeatedly tried to crash his own van into him at more than 70mph.

The vehicles collided, with Mr Fleeman's overturning several times, before landing at the side of the carriageway. His passenger, Lee Allsup, 17, also from Uttoxeter, was seriously injured.

The advocate depute, Iain McSporran, said Mr Fleeman had initially gestured at Lyons because of his erratic driving.

He said: "It appears that the accused's response to this gesture is what led to Mr Fleeman's death."

Lyons, who was driving home from a night out with friends in Manchester, had been drinking beer and wine and took valium pills during the trip north.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Fleeman's wife, Sandra, said she was "utterly devastated" by her husband's death. The statement, read by Mr McSporran, said: "He did not deserve this, and neither did we. The stress that this has put me under has made me so ill. I have depression."

Mrs Fleeman described as "horrific" the day she had to identify her husband's body via a TV monitor. She said she had contemplated suicide.

Mr Allsup said in his victim impact statement, also read to the court by Mr McSporran: "My best friend died. I cannot begin to describe how that feels. I'm numb. I can't leave the house. I have panic attacks."

Mr McSporran told the court that Mr Allsup used to be a "happy-go-lucky" person, but had since contemplated suicide. He could not remember five of the seven weeks he spent in several hospitals and he would need a hip replacement operation in the future.

The court heard that Lyons, who was banned from driving at the time of the crash, had said to one of his passengers: "I'm going to sideswipe him."

He sped away from the scene after the van lost control.

Mr McSporran said Lyons was on bail at the time of Mr Fleeman's death, after appearing at Airdrie Sheriff Court charged with breach of the peace and driving while disqualified. He also told the court Lyons had a number of previous convictions and had been jailed

in 2001 for careless driving. He was also convicted of dangerous driving in July 2003.

Tony Graham, defending Lyons, said he wanted to "express the remorse" his client felt for what had happened. "His conduct on that occasion was utterly irresponsible, utterly stupid."

Sentencing in the case will take place on 1 April.