Man rammed lorry into HGV after road rage incident

John Parkinson had reversed three times, deliberately ramming his lorry into the front of the other lorry after the two drivers had had a scuffle. He caused GBP115,000 worth of damage to the McBurney Transport wagon, as it was an insurance write-off, and the other driver was so afraid he drove it the wrong way down the East Lancashire Road in Knowsley to get away. Liverpool Crown Court heard that during the incident an innocent nurse's car also suffered damage leaving her GBP800 out of pocket.

"You deliberately chose to ignore the rules of the road and created danger to other road users and inflicted damage to vehicles," the judge, Recorder Michael Armstrong told 46-year-old Parkinson. However, he said he accepted that the defendant suffers from PTSD following a serious assault in the past which was likely to have increased his threat perception level. Parkinson claims the other man came at him with a knife and the judge said that having seen the dash cam footage it was easy to see why he thought it was a knife.

He sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered him to carry out 25 rehabilitation activity days. Parkinson, of Seabank Road, Egremont, Wallasey, Wirral, who had admitted dangerous driving as well as criminal damage, faced an automatic 12 month driving ban but the judge decided there were "special reasons' not to disqualify him. His lawyer Eve Salter had argued that Parkinson, a widower, should not lose his licence as he would lose his job and not be able to financially support his three children.

Parkinson, who drives for Menzies Distribution, gave evidence about this and told how driving was the only job he can do because of his health issues including arthritic hips and a tumour on his hand. He said: "If I lose my licence it would impact on me and my children." Asked about the incident, which occurred shortly after 8am on April 10, 2023, he claimed that the other driver Celio De Scusa, had attacked him with a knife and he suffered injuries to his chest and head.

When he got back in his cab he wanted to stop the other driver "getting away and doing this to anyone else." He said: "I went above and beyond and I am extremely ashamed of my actions. I would never do this again."

Dash cam footage, from the McBurney wagon, played to the court, showed Mr De Scusa's lorry undertaking the other wagon and Rebecca Smith, prosecuting, said that in his basis of plea Parkinson said he pulled over to fix his wing mirror, which was damaged in that manoeuvre. The defendant, who has no previous convictions, said that the other driver stopped and ran at him aggressively with a knife and caused him injuries. He said he felt in fear of his life but accepted his actions that followed were not in self-defence.

Miss Smith said that Mr De Scusa, also 46, faced an allegation of dangerous driving but the charge was not pursued.