A CHARD man who “went mad” when he chased another car before crashing into the back of it and then waved a sharpened screwdriver at the other driver has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Michael Mullins admitted he had behaved “like a t**t” when he drove at speeds of up to 80mph in a residential area of Chard and then screeched to a halt near a school shortly before leaving time.

When the victim saw him get out of his car with a weapon he grabbed a jack handle from his boot for protection and the defendant shouted out: “You’ve been messaging my missus”.

Following the confrontation in the middle of the street the defendant got back into his car and drove off.

When he was later questioned by police Mullins said: “I’m half Irish. I’m old school and was brought up to ‘let him have it’," Somerset Magistrates were told.

Mullins, 26, of Henson Park, pleaded not guilty to driving a vehicle dangerously on Henson Chard in Chard on May 12.

He also denied using towards Antonio Gray threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to cause him to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used against him.

However he failed to turn up at court for the trial at a previous hearing and the matter was found proved against him in his absence and adjourned for sentence.

Prosecutor Christine Hart said that Mr Gray was driving his car on Avishayes Road in Chard at 2.45pm when the defendant drove up behind him very close nearly making contact with his vehicle.

“At times he was driving at speeds of up to 80mph when the complainant turned onto Fairway Rise and slowed down by a speed bump as there was a school nearby,” she said.

“The defendant came round the corner on the wrong side of the road and drove into the back of the complainant’s vehicle causing a big shunt and damage to the rear.

“Mullins stopped in the middle of the road with his tyres screeching on stopping and he exited his vehicle and had a sharpened screwdriver in his hand, holding it in front of him and shouting “you’ve been messaging my missus. I’ve been putting up with it for months, you’re a c***.”

On seeing the defendant with a screwdriver Mr Gray then removed a jack handle from his boot and held it by his side for protection and Mullins eventually returned to his car and drove away.

During interview the defendant admitted to police that he had been “driving like a t**t and accepted he went mad and then grabbed the first thing he found which was a screwdriver.

“He accepted he had done wrong and said he did it because of anger issues and domestic problems.”

Defending solicitor Ray Peters said that Mullins was insured at the time of the incident and felt upset that he was not able to attend the trial as he was experiencing extreme anxiety and depression at the time.

“The impact itself was at low speed and my client regrets his behaviour and apologized for that during his police interview,” he said.

“He maintains that there was a great deal of provocation and he is not a man who goes around committing offences.”

He also added that the pupils at the nearby school were still inside the building at the time of the incident.

For the dangerous driving offence the magistrates imposed a 12 week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and during that time ordered him to comply with a 25 day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement to include a Thinking Skills programme.

They also disqualified him from driving for 12 months and ordered him to take an extended retest before he is allowed back on the road. They also imposed £310 costs and a £115 victim surcharge.