A BANNED motorist drove towards a former partner of his own ex-girlfriend after spotting him on a footpath near her home.

The startled pedestrian had to leap onto a garden wall to avoid being hit by the Peugeot 206 driven by Darren Jacques.

Durham Crown Court heard that moments earlier Jacques shouted: “I’m going to run you over”, on seeing the man walking along West Lane, Bishop Auckland, heading to a nearby shop.

Jacques crossed onto the opposite side of the road, mounted the kerb and left the potential ‘target’ feeling he had to leap onto the wall to prevent a collision.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said the Peugeot was last seen heading into a nearby estate.

The former partner of both parties witnessed the incident from the window of her nearby home, and, a short time later, received a text message from Jacques saying: “F***ed up there”.

Miss Lamballe said shortly before the incident, on July 15, Jacques turned up at her home to collect clothes, three weeks after the break-up of their relationship.

But he saw a pair of shoes belonging to her previous partner, the father of her child, and suspected they had revived their relationship.

Jacques was arrested a week later and told police his life had “not been good” since the split, conceding he had drunk heavily the night before the incident.

Despite being banned from driving at the time, he bought the car via an internet website.

He admitted what he did was “stupid”, but claimed he swerved at the last moment to avoid a collision.

Twenty-one-year-old Jacques, of Hall Lane Estate, Willington, admitted dangerous driving, common assault, driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Chris Baker, for Jacques, said he was facing his first immediate prison sentence.

“He’s a naive and a somewhat vulnerable young man. He certainly won’t ‘thrive’ in custody," he said.

“He’d had a drink problem for quite some time and it was exacerbated by the breakdown of that relationship.

“Thankfully, no-one was injured in this case, in reality.”

Jailing him for 14 months, Judge Penny Moreland told Jacques: “I’ve no doubt you went to your ex-partner’s home still under the influence of drink and you were angry when you saw the other man there.

“That was the motive for what then happened.

“There’s no excuse for it.

“Aggravated by drink, you used that car as a weapon.”

Jacques was also banned from driving for four years.