AN uninsured motorist drove into his former partner while she was holding their young son, a court was told.

Neither mother nor child was badly injured in the collision, although the two-year-old boy banged his head on the bonnet of the car.

The Volkswagen Golf was then put into reverse, striking a gate/fence, before being driven from the scene, in Beech Grove, Trimdon Station, County Durham.

Twenty-year-old Aaron Maddison was at the wheel of the car, which belonged to a friend, at the time of the incident, on the morning of Friday August 9.

Maddison, who was arrested at his home in nearby May Crescent later that day, was initially charged with dangerous driving and spent several weeks in custody.

He denied the charge, but admitted the lesser offence of careless driving, on the basis that it was an accidental collision.

Maddison, now 21, also admitted common assault of both his ex-partner and their son, driving without insurance and failing to stop after an accident.

Those pleas were accepted by the prosecution at a hearing at Durham Crown Court, last month, when Maddison was granted bail to reside at his brother’s address in Hartlepool.

His barrister, Ron Mitchell, told today’s (Thursday November 21) sentencing hearing that Maddison is a qualified driver, having passed his test, although he does have penalty points on his licence for previous motoring offences.

Judge Christopher Prince imposed a 12-month community order, during which Maddison must undergo supervision by the Probation Service.

He was also banned from driving for six months under the totting up procedure.

Judge Prince told Maddison: “Had you been convicted or pleaded ‘guilty’ to dangerous driving, using the car to deliberately injure your girlfriend, you would be going straight to prison.

“But, it’s accepted you didn’t deliberately hurt anyone.”

Maddison was also ordered to pay the statutory £60 victim surcharge.