Driver branded clot by judge

A DRIVER who reversed into one of his neighbours, pinning him between his bumper and another car, could easily have killed the man, a judge said.

Mr Recorder John Akast told Christopher Jones he had behaved like a "complete clot" when his neighbour Mark Holloway tackled him about his driving.

But the judge spared the mechanic a driving ban as he said the offence was completely out of character, fining him £500 instead.

Jones, whose licence was endorsed with six penalty points, admitted careless driving and common assault on Mr Holloway.

Bury St Edmunds Crown Court heard Jones, of Flatford Close, Stowmarket, had got into his car following a row with his girlfriend on Mothers' Day this year.

Richard Kelly, prosecuting, said Jones, 24, who had also been suffering from clinical depression, had been seen driving erratically. He said: "Gravel was thrown up into one front door. Mr Holloway came out because he was concerned there were children in the area," he added.

"The defendant's car came to a very swift halt and reversed back into Mr Holloway, trapping his leg between the rear of the defendant's car and a Rover, clearly hurting Mr Holloway and damaging that car as well."

Mr Holloway fell to the ground, an ambulance was called, but he did not needed hospital treatment.

John Morgens, mitigating, said: "What has taken place is very much out of character. He doesn't drive like this regularly, knows the risk of driving in this way and will never drive like this again. His remorse is genuine."

The judge stressed: "The problem with this sort of driving is that if Mr Holloway had been knocked over on his head, you could have killed him and been in serious trouble.

"But this is obviously wholly out of character. Just make sure nothing like this happens again."