A Suffolk mechanic who ran over a man’s legs as he drove away from the scene of a confrontation in a state of panic has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Edward Harrod had been at work when his boss heard that someone was threatening to burn down his house with his wife and children in it, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The threat was taken seriously because of the reputation of the man making it and Harrod’s boss had invited him and another employee to accompany him on a “mercy mission” to make sure nothing untoward was happening.

Harrod had driven to Kirkley Run in Lowestoft in his Nissan Navara and when he arrived a fight was already taking place near a service station.

Harrod got out of his Nissan but when he heard that someone had a knife he got back into the vehicle and decided to get out of the area as quickly as possible.

As he drove away he had inadvertently” clipped Jamie Buckenham, who was in the area but wasn’t the man who had threatened to burn down Harrod’s boss’s home.

After briefly stopping Harrod had reversed his vehicle and in his haste to get away he had driven over Mr Buckenham’s legs.

Sentencing Harrod Judge David Goodin described his driving as “pretty dreadful” but accepted there was no suggestion he had used his vehicle as a weapon to deliberately drive at Mr Buckenham.

Harrod, 34, of Marham Road, Lowestoft, admitted dangerous driving on August 28 2018.

In addition to being given an eight month prison suspended for two years he was ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.

He was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to take an extended driving test.

He was also ordered to lay a £115 victim surcharge.

Joanne Eley, prosecuting, said Mr Buckenham was taken to hospital but wasn’t found to have any significant injuries and was discharged from hospital the same day.

Steven Dyble for Harrod said what happened on the afternoon in question wasn’t a case of a car being deliberately used as a weapon.

He said Harrod had “inadvertently” run over Mr Buckenham’s legs in his panic to get away from the area.

He said his client was now unable to work and this had had a devastating effect on his family’s finances.