Balaclava-wearing County Durham driver shunted car in front off road

Jack Turner, in a Volkswagen Golf, began following her former lover's new man as he left his home in Trimdon Village, on the morning of June 13 last year.

Durham Crown Court was told the Astra driver increased his speed to 60-miles per hour but noticed the VW Golf being driven aggressively behind him.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said on Salters Lane, Turner pulled up alongside the Astra and waved what appeared to be a baseball bat.

Turner also attempted to block the Astra and so the driver had to veer onto a grass verge to get around the Golf.

When the Astra was driven onto the A181, Turner, who by then was wearing a balaclava, deliberately shunted into the back of it, thrusting it off the road, while the driver was on the phone to police attempting to report the incident.

The Astra ended up in a ditch, and the driver had to clamber out in pain, suffering numbness in his right arm.

He was taken to accident and emergency and was unable to work for three weeks, while he was only able to get £1,500 back in insurance for the damage to his car.

Mr Gittins said the Golf was found abandoned on the A688 with damage to the front end.

A wooden pickaxe handle was found in a search of the vehicle.

The defendant was stopped near Wynyard on September 15, when the vehicle he was then driving was flagged via the automatic number plate recognition system.

In his victim statement the injured driver said he is now “on edge” when at the wheel.

He said he was concerned about the impact on his job as he is self-employed and the impact of the incident has, “massively hit my business”.

The court was told Turner’s ex-partner had received numerous unwanted messages from him, some of a threatening nature, when she split with him and told him she was in a new relationship.

In her victim statement she said she was “sick and upset” and does not feel safe in her own home, generally fearing coming into contact with Turner.

The 32-year-old defendant, of Leyland Close, Bowburn, admitted a charge of harassment at a plea hearing at the court in November, but only changed plea and admitted dangerous driving on the day of his trial last month.

He was said to have 13 past offences on his record, including previous for domestic violence against another partner, and dangerous driving and other motoring convictions, from 2012.

But the court was told he has recently served an eight-week prison sentence for breaching a domestic violence protection order.

Sam Ponniah, for Turner, said the defendant described that first experience in custody as, “an awful time”.

But Mr Ponniah said, “in some ways it was the best thing that could have happened”, as the defendant has taken steps to reduce his substance misuse with the help of the drug and alcohol recovery service.

He has also approached the domestic abuse service Harbour to address his behaviour in relationships.

“He knows his substance misuse is at the heart of his offending behaviour and is feeling very much better with the steps he has taken so far.

“This was ugly offending and he knows that, full well.

“But he also knows it’s very much the ‘last chance saloon’ for him.”

Judge Aisha Wadoodi said his behaviour was “not understandable” and his driving was “appalling”.

She said it was only good fortune that the victim survived without worse injuries.

Judge Wadoodi said she intended to impose an immediate prison term, but the short time he spent in custody recently appears to have given the defendant an insight into what will happen if he carries on in this manner.

Passing a 12-month prison sentence, she said she was “just” able to suspend it for 18 months.

Turner must do 200 hours’ unpaid work, attend ten rehabilitation activity sessions, and was banned from driving for two years and was made subject of a five-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his ex-partner for five years.

Judge Wadoodi warned Turner that any breaches would result in him having to serve some or all of the suspended prison sentence.