A road rage row left a carpenter with a broken arm and unable to work, a court was told today (Monday 23 March).
And the incident landed Brighton project manager Errol Lord with a suspended prison sentence and a two-year driving ban.
Lord, 63, of Bengairn Avenue, Patcham, was spared jail having pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing.
At Hove Crown Court today, Naomi Edwards, prosecuting, said that Lord’s white Audi Quattro hit carpenter Marcin Czaplicki at the level crossing at Portslade railway station in March last year.
Miss Edwards said that things started when Lord cut in front of a white van, driven by 47-year-old Mr Czaplicki, and forcing him to brake.
Dashcam footage from Lord’s car, shown in court, captured the moments leading up to the offence.
It showed Mr Czaplicki approach the Audi on foot, having spotting Lord waiting at the level crossing.
Mr Czaplicki appeared to gesture angrily before Lord accelerated forward, striking him and knocking him to the ground, breaking his upper left arm.
Lord, a project manager at UK Power Networks, then drove off but a member of the public called 999.
Mr Czaplicki was taken to hospital where, five days after the incident, which happened on Friday 7 March last year, he had surgery on his arm.
Miss Edwards read a statement from the victim to the court. She quoted Mr Czaplicki saying that the offence had had a significant effect on his life and livelihood.
He said: “Prior to the incident, I was a full-time director of a carpentry business. After the incident I had to take approximately four months off work.
“I am now unable to work more than a few hours a day. My carpentry business is going into liquidation at the end of March.”
Judge Christine Henson imposed a suspended prison sentence of seven months and banned Lord from driving for two years.
She said that the sentence took into account Lord’s good character before the incident, his clean driving record and his lack of previous convictions.
