‘Road rage’ driver rammed motorcyclist off his bike in Derby for ridiculous reason

A father-of-three sped after and deliberately rammed a young motorcyclist off the dual carriageway during a road rage incident in Derby. Ashley Hickinbottom then got out of the van he was driving, which also contained his own seven-year-old son, and continued "remonstrating" with the badly injured rider, Derby Crown Court was told.[1] The 37-year-old who "clearly has some pent-up frustration"[2] then tried to tell the police he'd had a blown out tyre which contributed to the incident and that he was only following the motorbike "to exchange details".

The defendant has previous for similar behaviour when he jumped on the bonnet and smashed the windscreen of a different car he'd collided with on a motorway. Jailing him for two years and eight months, Judge Jonathan Straw said:[3] "During the mid-afternoon, you were in your van with your young son at Markeaton roundabout waiting at a red traffic light. A motorbike being ridden by the victim came up alongside you and whatever beef you had at that stage with him in terms of whatever he might have inadvertently done should have stopped at the traffic lights.

"Had you simply gesticulated, shouted or just been verbal and angry nothing more would have happened and none of us would be here. But you did not. "You pursued him for some distance at some speed and when you caught up with him you deliberately used your van to ram him into the central barrier and left him suffering serious and unpleasant injuries.

You then got out of your van and instead of being contrite about what happened or showing any concern for that young man you continued to remonstrate towards him. "You have got a bit of history for behaviour like that. Because a couple of years before, you were on the motorway and your vehicle came into contact with another vehicle and you got out of yours and jumped on the bonnet and windscreen and smashed it."

Fergus Malone, prosecuting, said the incident happened on the afternoon of Saturday, January 13, when Hickinbottom was driving a van and had his seven-year-old son in the vehicle with him. He said the victim was with some friends riding his motorcycle and drew up alongside the defendant at Markeaton roundabout. The prosecutor said as he did so a piece of the rider's clothing "snagged on the van's wing mirror" which angered the driver and who, when the light changed to green, started chasing the young rider.

Mr Malone said: "He got close to the motorcyclist who thought he was going to ram him and so he went on to the A516 to try and get away but he was followed at speeds of up to 60mph to 70mph. "He (Hickinbottom) got in front of the rider as if to try and block him in and slammed on his brakes. The rider drove into the outside lane and the van swerved into him, he came off and struck the central barrier.

"A witness saw him get out of the van and heard him say 'stop putting it on' and the witness said to the defendant 'you are a danger to everyone'. A number of people telephoned the emergency services and the rider was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre. "He suffered injuries to his arms, shoulders and body.

A witness told the police the van pulled level with the motorbike and deliberately swerved into it." The prosecutor said the defendant later told the police that he'd suffered "a blow out" but no evidence of it was ever discovered. Hickinbottom, of Morris Avenue, Bentley, Walsall, later pleaded guilty to causing serious injury through dangerous driving.

He has seven convictions for 11 offences including the M6 road rage criminal damage the judge mentioned. Zaheer Afzal, mitigating, tried to argue that any sentence could be suspended. He said his unemployed client has three children, and "struggles to contain his emotional outbursts".

He said: "He does, clearly, have some pent-up frustration and he is sorry for what he has put his family through." As well as the jail term, the judge disqualified the defendant from driving for three years and four months.

References

1. ^ Derby Crown Court was told. (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
2. ^ "clearly has some pent-up frustration" (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
3. ^ Judge Jonathan Straw said: (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)