Motorist knocked down by rival driver during road rage incident on way home from IKEA shopping trip

A court was shown camera footage of the moment Stuart Cardiss struck the victim in his VW Polo on Gelderd Road.

The man landed on the bonnet of the vehicle before rolling onto the ground and banging his head on the road.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the incident took place on February 22 last year as the victim was driving towards Leeds Ring Road after visiting Ikea with his girlfriend.

Cardiss, 32, was heading in the same direction and drove behind them in an aggressive manner.

Jessica Randall, prosecuting, said Cardiss drove closely behind before overtaking.

The victim had to brake sharply to avoid a collision and made contact with the kerb.

Both men stopped their cars a short distance away and got out of the vehicle.

Camera footage showed the victim walking towards Cardiss' car before the defendant got back into his vehicle.

He drove at the victim and knocked him to the floor.

Ms Randall said Cardiss then sped off.

The victim's girlfriend was "extremely upset" as she went to help her partner.

He went to hospital after suffering from dizziness and vomiting but was not seriously injured.

Cardiss, of Fearndene Walk, Batley, was traced by the police and provided a statement in which he accepted driving the vehicle.

Cardiss stated that he needed to get to hospital urgently as his grandmother had been taken ill.

The defendant claimed not to have realised that he had struck the victim with his car.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident.

He has five previous convictions for ten offences.

In October 2015 he was given a prison sentence for unlawful wounding.

Timothy Savage, mitigating, said Cardiss panicked, got back into his car and drove off when he saw the victim approaching him.

Mr Savage told the judge, Recorder Darren Preston: "If this was pure aggression, Your Honour would struggle to justify not imposing an immediate custodial sentence. But there is an element of panic here."

The barrister said Cardiss had been out of trouble for a number of years since settling down with his partner and having a family.

Cardiss was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was banned from driving for 12 months.

Recorder Preston said: "You are 32 years of age and, frankly, too old for such aggressive and childish behaviour."