A ROAD-RAGE driver repeatedly rammed a mother’s car while she had her three children in the back.
Ryan Watson ploughed into Helen Duffy’s Mercedes, causing almost £2,000 of damage, before getting out of his car and kicking the terrified mum’s vehicle.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the 29-year-old snapped when he faced a line of traffic as he approached Colliery Lane at Easington Lane from a side road on April 20.
Prosecutor Paul Rowland told the court: “Mrs Duffy was in a line of traffic and the defendant was trying to gain access to the same road from the side road.
“The traffic was busy, he was edging forward and Mrs Duffy was simply going along with the line.
“He attempted pushing in, she continued and as a consequence of that she said he rammed her vehicle on two or three occasions. Both vehicles stopped.
“Mr Watson got out of his vehicle. He approached Mrs Duffy’s vehicle, shouting and screaming and he kicked the driver’s door mirror on several occasions, causing damage.
“At the time she had three of her children in the car.”
A witness told police he saw Mrs Duffy’s vehicle under attack “for no apparent reason”.
Watson then stormed off, leaving the Mercedes with £1,985 of repairs needed.
The court heard he has a history of driving offences and has a conviction for driving into a horse and cart rider during an earlier road-rage row.
Watson, of Lowerson Avenue, Shiney Row, admitted damaging property, using threatening words and behaviour and dangerous driving.
He also admitted an unrelated charge of unlawful wounding, after he pushed a rival during a row which caused him to fall and split his head.
Paul Currer, defending, said Watson had responded well to his first experience of being in custody, had qualified as a plasterer while inside and vowed to stay out of trouble in future.
Mr Currer said: “He accepts he acted foolishly.”
Judge Brian Forster deferred sentence in the case until next April to give Watson a chance to prove his promise to stay out of trouble.
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