WHEN Reece Newton saw a teenager he disliked driving in Stevenage he rammed the back of his car several times, a court heard. Then when the cars were side by side the other driver and his four passengers spun off the road and crashed. Not content, Newton

WHEN Reece Newton saw a teenager he disliked driving in Stevenage he rammed the back of his car several times, a court heard.

Then when the cars were side by side the other driver and his four passengers spun off the road and crashed.

Not content, Newton got out of his car chased after the other youth and threw a hammer at him.

But Newton, 18, of Wisden Road, Stevenage, who admitted dangerous driving and affray, narrowly avoided being jailed on Friday.

Recorder Peter Williamson told him: "Your actions were stupid and idiotic and very dangerous and it is only by the skin of your teeth you avoid an immediate custodial sentence."

He was given a six-month custodial sentence suspended for 18 months, put under supervision, ordered to do 80 hours unpaid work, pay £600 compensation and banned from driving for 18 months.

Simon Stirling, prosecuting at Luton Crown Court, said there was a long history of disagreement between Newton and 17-year-old Jamie Butler.

On October 24 last year the victim, who had just passed his test, was driving four friends around Stevenage in his £600 Peugeot when Newton saw him in Sish Lane.

"He came up behind him and nudged the car and continued to follow him and nudged him three more times," said Mr Stirling.

"Mr Butler felt very anxious and someone phoned the police for him and said someone was trying to run him off the road."

Then Newton overtook him and clipped his wing. In Fairlands Way he nudged him again. Then the cars were side by side doing 30- 35 mph when there was a crash and the Peugeot spun off the road and stopped in the railway station car park. It was a write off, said Mr Stirling.

When Mr Butler got out he saw Newton running towards him with a hammer which he threw, but it did not hit him. Police arrived and Newton was still at the scene, threatening that he would go to the victim's house and kill him in his sleep.

He admitted he had driven into the back of him, saying it was because he was driving too slowly, but denied being responsible for his car going out of control.

Alisdair Smith, defending, said: "These were the stupid actions of a teenager. There had been an argument over a motorbike some years before but this was not the right way of conducting a disagreement.

"He has ambitions of becoming a mechanic but these convictions and disqualification will cause him problems with that.