County Durham man, 80, injured in road-rage attack

Nathan Duffy tailgated the 80-year-old, who pulled into a layby to let the thug get past him but wasn’t expecting what came next.

Duffy, 34, pulled in behind the pensioner, jumped from his car before attacking him while he was ‘out-of-control’, a court heard.

The attack left Peter Loughran needing hospital treatment and his family not knowing what they were facing when they were told that passers-by couldn’t get him up off the ground.

Peter Loughran's black eye following the attack (Image: Family handout)

Speaking after the sentencing hearing, the County Durham man said the assault had a devastating impact on his life and led to him selling his car.

The father-of three and grandfather-of-three said: “He has not once said sorry or shown any remorse for what he did to me. He said he was acting in self-defence, I’m 80-years-old – do I look intimidating?

“The attack really had an impact on my entire family, I was too worried to go out and I stopped playing golf – I used to play three times a week.

“It was so bad that I sold my car because I was scared about looking in the mirror and seeing him following me. I had to buy a new one recently, so that I can get about again but it still concerns me.”

His daughter, Lesley King, said she had no idea what to expect when she turned up to see her elderly father.

“We had to explain to his grandchildren what had happened to him and we shouldn’t have had to do that,” she said.

She added that Duffy needs to realise that assaulting people in that way "can lead to serious consequences" and that the injuries to her father could have been much worse.

“Thankfully some passers-by stopped to help dad and called an ambulance. Luckily the only injuries dad sustained was a cut to the head and suffered a black eye.”

Nathan Duffy leaving Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' court (Image: Graeme Hetherington)

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court heard how Duffy kicked a mobile phone out of Peter Loughran’s hand causing him to fall to the ground and injuring his eye.

Magistrates ordered him to pay £500 in compensation to Mr Loughran as well as £2,264 in fines and court costs.

The court heard how the attack happened as the pensioner was heading towards Newton Aycliffe from the Rushyford roundabout.

Duffy was driving close to the complainant's car and could be seen waving his arms around and gesticulating, so the victim decided to pullover and let him past.

Paul Doney, prosecuting, the defendant followed into the layby and jumped out of his car to confront the 80-year-old man.

He said: “He was out of control, shouting something about him using his brakes.

“Mr Loughran took his phone out to take a picture of the vehicle. The defendant kicked it out of his hand the complainant fell to the ground.

“It was not in self-defence as he claimed.”

Duffy, of Scholars View, Easington Lane, Houghton le Spring, was found guilty of assault by beating following a trial at the same court.

Josh Hart, mitigating, said his client had had time to reflect on his behaviour in the year since the assault took place on October 3 and he was focussing on his health and fitness.

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“There was a single kick to the complainant’s hand his was holding his mobile phone in. That’s what caused him to fall to the ground and suffer his injuries.

“He wasn’t to know about the things that were going on in the complainant’s life at the time,” he said.

“He has reflected on it and is very sorry for his actions.”

Lois Neal, the chair of the magistrates’ bench, said: “You are very keen on your own physical fitness, that gives you physical strength and you need to bear that in mind that some people may not have the same physical ability as you.”