A NETHERTON pensioner who deliberately drove his van at a cyclist in revenge after a road rage incident has been locked up for four years.
Kalvinder Bhamra left 25-year-old John Carter with a number of injuries including a broken wrist that needed surgery,
Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
A jury heard that Bhamra was angry after a clash with the cyclist but, stressed Nigel Stelling prosecuting, it was "no
justification for what happened".
The actions of Bhamra, of Chichester Avenue, were "deliberate" and he had driven at Mr Carter in what was a "revenge" attack.
Bhamra, aged 65, had pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm but he was found guilty on an 11-1 majority verdict after the jury retired to consider the evidence at the end of his trial.
The court was told Bhamra had blocked part of the street while trying to turn his van right onto Halesowen Road from
Baptist End Road in Netherton.
The stationary vehicle was in the way of Mr Carter as he was making his way to work and he stopped to shout abuse
at the electrician before punching Bhamra after he got out of the van.
The pair were separated and Mr Carter got back onto his cycle and rode away but he told the jury the next thing he knew he was crawling across the road and onto grass.
Mr Carter said: "I had no idea what happened because I was hit from behind."
Mr Stelling said what Mr Carter did in the incident probably did not reflect too well on him and it may have provided an
explanation for the actions of Bhamra.
He said Bhamra was punched and his glasses had been broken but he then reversed his van and accelerated up the road in pursuit of the cyclist.
"Bhamra was no doubt angry but rights and wrongs are a side issue and they cannot justify what he did," said Mr Stelling.
In evidence Bhamra maintained it had never been his intention to cause any harm to Mr Carter.
He said: "My intention was to park behind him. I misjudged the distance between me and the bike."
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