County Durham man drove into 'rival' knocking him onto bonnet of Audi

Durham Crown Court was told Phillip George was in his Audi A4 behind a tipper truck approaching Stanley Crook, on November 30, 2020.

Ian West, prosecuting, said a few vehicles further back in the line of traffic was the complainant, who was in his car with his wife and child as passengers.

Mr West told the court: “There had been ‘bad blood’ between the two in the past.”

The other driver tried to overtake several of the vehicles between them and, seeing him approaching, George accelerated to prevent him getting past.

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But at Stanley Crook he got ahead and gestured to George to stop, which he did, with their respective cars separated by another vehicle after both pulled over to the side of the road.

As the other driver got out of his car and approached the Audi, George drove forward striking him, knocking him onto the bonnet, before he fell to the ground.

He was left unconscious, having suffered a large cut to the back of the head, plus grazing and cuts to his hands and face from hitting the gravel on the road.

George drove from the immediate vicinity until emergency services were summoned to the scene.

In an impact statement given six weeks after the incident the victim said he was still affected with neck problems, having received the gash to the back of the head, plus cuts and scrapes to the rest of his body.

He said he suffered with the effects of concussion for several days following the impact and was still in pain, receiving further treatment for possible neck and spine damage.

Mr West said when interviewed shortly after the incident George made no comment to police questions.

The 32-year-old defendant, of Front Street, Frosterley, denied charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily with intent and dangerous driving, but his guilty plea to assault causing actual bodily harm was accepted by the prosecution on the day of his scheduled trial.

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Jonathan Walker, in mitigation, said the defendant did not totally leave the scene as he was conscious of the risk of further altercation so just left the immediate vicinity until the police arrived.

Mr Walker said George then went back and was spoken to both at the scene and later at the police station.

Judge Jo Kidd said following previous altercations between the pair, things “came to a head” on the day of the incident.

She described their behaviour that day as, “immature and uncontrolled”, but she told George: “You could have caused the victim very serious injuries and there was even the potential for a fatal injury in circumstances where he suffered a head injury.

“It could have been manslaughter.”

She told George that he and the victim ought to, “stay away from each other”, and made him subject of a restraining order to prevent him from contacting of approaching the other man for five years.

But she said given his lack of previous offences of violence she could, “just about draw back” from imposing an immediate prison sentence.

George received a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, but with a six-month 7pm to 7am home curfew, while he must also attend 20 probation-run rehabilitation activity sessions.

Judge Kidd warned George failure to comply with the terms of the order, or commission of further offences in the next two years would put him at risk of having the suspended sentence activated.

Read next:

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               Sentence suspended for driver who drove into other motorist

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