Conwy man who used car as a weapon to hit biker jailed

A man whose own dashcam recorded him using his car as a weapon to run a motorcyclist down has been jailed.

Graham Robinson, 69, of Kinmel Bay, Conwy, chased Liam Guest in a road rage episode on 5 August 2022.

Caernarfon Crown Court heard Robinson claimed Mr Guest clipped his wing mirror and shouted "I am going to knock you off your bike" before the pursuit.

Judge Timothy Petts told Robinson his driving was "completely out of control" and "highly dangerous".

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Prosecutor Rosemary Proctor told the court a woman had been in the front room of her bungalow when she heard a "terrific bang" outside on the afternoon of the incident.

Her garden was in disarray, the fence broken, a blue car in vegetation and a motorbike on the ground.

During the incident, the prosecution said the defendant had shouted: "I am going to knock you off your bike."

A pursuit then ensued with Robinson's dashcam showing he reached 80km/h (50mph) on side roads and 64km/h (40mph) on a dirt track where he collided with the motorcyclist.

Ms Proctor said Mr Guest was cut and grazed and later complained of pain and flashbacks.

Graham Robinson pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and obstructing police

Robinson had at first lied to police that his dashcam was broken and not in his car.

Simon Killeen, defending, said Robinson lived with his wife and was under additional stress because of her illness at the time.

Robinson, who had no previous convictions, claimed Mr Guest had struck his wing mirror but then made the "appalling" decision to pursue him afterwards, Mr Killeen added.

Judge Timothy Petts said there was strong personal mitigation but told the pensioner he had used his car "as a weapon against a vulnerable road user".

Judge Petts said "the best part of £3,000 damage" was also caused to the fence.

"For anyone to use their car as a weapon as you were doing to settle a grudge with a more vulnerable road user is highly dangerous and the sentence has to reflect that.

"It's no thanks to you the injuries were not more serious than they were."

Robinson was jailed for eight months. A three years and four month driving ban with an extended re-test was also imposed.