Bagillt,North Wales - Man punched student because of his driving

Published date: 05 December 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A MAN got angry about a student’s driving, followed him and then punched him through the open window of his vehicle.

Daniel Delaney was jailed yesterday for what a crown court judge described as a road rage incident where he randomly attacked another driver.

To make matters worse, Delaney, 25, of Mayfair House in Bagillt, was on a suspended prison sentence at the time.

At Mold Crown Court he was jailed for a total of 45 weeks and banned from driving for six months after he admitted assault and driving while disqualified back in April, which put him in breach of an earlier suspended sentence.

Judge Rhys Rowlands said the courts would not tolerate “people like you following others in your 4x4 and seeking to bully and intimidate them in this way.”

It had to be immediate custody, he said.

“The Court of Appeal had made it plain repeatedly that incidents of road rage should attract immediate custodial sentences.

“They are far too prevalent and it is wholly unacceptable to randomly pick on other motorists.”

The judge said that “for absolutely no reason” he took offence at the victim’s driving and followed him.

He had the gall as a disqualified driver to shout abuse at him and threatened to “knock him out”.

Judge Rowlands said there had been a degree of targeting as Delaney followed the student out of Holywell and later punched him through an open window when he was vulnerable sitting in the driving seat.

“He posed no threat to you,” the judge said.

James Coutts told how the defendant had been angered by the driving he perceived of a young man in Holywell at 9pm on April 29 and followed him out of Holywell.

When he arrived at The Stamford Gate Hotel, the defendant punched him in the neck area.

The victim was shaking, could not drive later and in addition to the pain of the injury had difficulty sleeping.

He suffered nightmares and flashbacks.

The defendant had been traced after his registration number was taken and CCTV in Holywell town centre confirmed it was Delaney.

The suspended sentence had been imposed for dangerous driving and possessing an offensive weapon.

Kate Meredith-Jones, defending, said Delaney wished to apologise to the court and to the victim.

The defendant would welcome the intervention of the probation service through a thinking skills programme.

“He recognised that he needs to grow up. He does not want a lifestyle where he keeps returning to court,” Miss Meredith-Jones explained.