Chesterfield driver, 26, headbutted pensioner aged 73 in road rage row

Bradley Hawes, 26, left one of the elderly men - aged 73 - bleeding on the floor with smashed glasses and the other with a purple lump on his temple.

Prosecutor Ian Shaw told Chesterfield Magistrates Court Hawes followed the OAP driver and his two passengers - an elderly couple - on September 21 last year.

Mr Shaw said Hawes was “hooting and tooting” and “waving his fist” in his X3 behind the “frightened” trio - annoyed that they had pulled out in front of him at a Newbold mini roundabout.

The court heard the elderly driver pulled up outside the Cutthorpe home of his two passengers and exited his Seat car to speak to Hawes - who had stopped behind them.

Prosecutor Mr Shaw said the two men were “shouting at each other”, adding that the elderly victim accepted he was “swearing” at the defendant.

“But then unfortunately he was headbutted by Mr Hawes - which knocked him to the floor,” said Mr Shaw.

He said the OAP driver’s male passenger then got out of the vehicle to see what was going on and was “punched in the face”.

At this point a passing off-duty police officer who witnessed the headbutt stopped, telling Hawes “get back in your car” - and he climbed into his vehicle and drove off.

The female passenger from the victims’ car - the wife of the man who was punched - told the court Hawes’ car was “very close” as he followed them and waved a “clenched fist”.

Giving evidence to the court, Hawes described how he and his partner were on their way to Linacre Reservoir with their dog when his victim “pulled out in front of me”.

He claimed that after beeping his horn “to warn (the victim) of my presence” the other driver slammed his brakes on - forcing Hawes to do an emergency stop.

Hawes said the OAP stopped his car on Cutthorpe Road and “walked up the middle of the road” - making it impossible to drive around him while banging on his window and swearing.

At the roadside Hawes said the pensioner “poked” him in the eye while waving his finger about - at which point he put his head down and “pushed” the pensioner with his hands, who fell.

The defendant’s partner - who was nine weeks pregnant during the scuffle - told the court the other male pensioner “grabbed hold of my arm and pushed me into the car” before he was struck in the face by Hawes.

A magistrate, finding Hawes guilty of two counts of assault by beating, told the court: “We do believe Mr Hawes honestly believed it was necessary to use force to defend himself.

“However this force was out of proportion and not reasonable - Mr Hawes cannot have been acting in lawful self-defence.”

Hawes, of Eyre Chapel Rise, Newbold, was found guilty of two counts of assault by beating.

His case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports.

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