A father has said he will never forget the fear he felt when his car was rammed three times by a “lunatic driver”, a court has heard.

Oliver Elton, 23, had been staying with his partner during the coronavirus lockdown but left after smashing up her phone following an argument.

Norwich Crown Court heard Elton had also damaged his partner’s mother’s car and a wall after going to her house to pick up some things before he left in his Audi car.

Stephen Mather, prosecuting, said a motorist, in a Seat car, described how Elton was “hossing it” before he “hit the back” of his car in the Saxlingham Thorpe area.

He felt “sheer panic” but was then hit twice more by Elton as he passed him. He said [Elton] “was driving so fast I thought he was going to end up crashing and killing himself”.

After being notified about Elton, police tried to get ahead of him and set up a stinger. Elton was seen by police speeding the wrong way down a one-way street in Bungay before he came to a stop. Officers pulled alongside the car to stop him getting out.

The court heard a statement from the motorist in the Seat who said he would “never forget the fear going through my mind when Elton almost drove me off the road”.

He said he was “relieved” his children were not in the car “when this lunatic driver drove into me”.

Elton, of Nelson Close, Harleston, appeared in court for sentence yesterday having previously admitted four counts of criminal damage on April 4/5 this year.

He also admitted driving a motor vehicle dangerously, driving without insurance and failing to provide a specimen of blood.

Sentencing Elton to a total of 13 months in prison, suspended for 24 months, Judge Stephen Holt said he had behaved in a “spiteful way” prior to driving dangerously.

Elton was also ordered to do 200 hours’ unpaid work, abide by a six-month curfew and carry out up to 35 days’ rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also banned from going within 500 metres of Jubilee Walk, Poringland, for five years and from driving for three years.

Andrew Oliver, mitigating, said Oliver was someone “who knows he has done wrong” and his “impulsivity” and “poor decision making” were from a young man yet to show full maturity.