A SIMMERING row between two rival garage owners led to one hurling a wheel brace at the head of the other, a court heard.

Gregg Kerr had already threatened to cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to vehicles belonging to the victim when he hurled the implement at him. It missed and hit a customer's car.

Prosecuting at Teesside Crown Court, Katie Rafter said Kerr also drove his own car at the victim, causing him to jump out of the way, before crashing it into a pillar.

Earlier on the day of the incident – September 7 last year – Kerr followed the victim into a coffee shop at Tesco's, in Billingham, and invited him outside to fight. He refused, but on leaving the store got into a scuffle with Kerr and, fearing he was about to be hit, punched him in the face.

Graham Silvester, mitigating, said the catalyst for the incident was the fact that the complainant was in a relationship with his ex-partner and Kerr had concerns over the care of his child.

He said: “He fully accepts he overreacted and his behaviour was unacceptable.”

Kerr, 24, of Cumberland Crescent, Billingham, admitted affray.

Recorder William Lowe said emotions had been running extremely high between the two men and described it as an exceptional case. The judge was told that Kerr had since compensated the complainant for the damage caused.

Recorder Lowe said that were he to send Kerr to prison it would cause members of his family he cared for to suffer greatly and also have the same impact on the car sales business he ran, which employs two staff.

He gave Kerr a six month jail sentence, suspended for a year, and made him subject to a four-month long night-time curfew at his home. He will also pay £500 court costs.