A Suffolk man who “lost it” during a row allegedly drove his van at a man and carried him 150m along the road on the bonnet, it has been alleged.

Andrew Vernoum went over to confront Luke Messetter after allegedly seeing him deliberately ram his van into his car, causing part of the bumper to fall off, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Vernoum went over to Messetter’s van and stood in front of it and Messetter had then allegedly accelerated towards him and hit him on the legs, said Matthew Sorel-Cameron, prosecuting.

“The force picked him up and he landed on the bonnet,” he said.

Mr Vernoum held on to the windscreen wipers as Messetter allegedly drove 150m down the road before coming to a stop after hitting a fire hydrant.

As a result of the incident Mr Vernoum suffered a sprained ankle and scratches and grazes to his legs.

The court heard that the incident had followed an alleged altercation at the home of Caroline Longden, in Bury St Edmunds.

An argument started after Ms Longden’s son Ryan Tyler, her daughter Kyra Tyler and Kyra Tyler’s partner Andrew Vernoum arrived at the house and Messetter was asked to leave.

He refused and he allegedly spat in Ryan Tyler’s face and grabbed Kyra Tyler by the throat and pushed her into a neighbour’s fence, breaking two panels.

Ryan Tyler had pulled Messeter off his sister and after a scuffle Messetter had allegedly got into his van and deliberately reversed it three times into Mr Vernoum’s car before turning the van round and ramming the car.

Messetter, 39, of St Andrew’s Drive, Fornham St Martin, near Bury St Edmunds, has denied assaulting Kyra Tyler by beating, assaulting Ryan Tyler by beating, damaging a Vauxhall Astra belonging to Andrew Vernoum, dangerous driving and assaulting Mr Vernoum causing him actual bodily harm.

The court heard the alleged offences took place on August 16 last year.

Mr Sorel-Cameron claimed that Messetter had “lost it” on the day in question and committed the offences.

The court heard that after his arrest Messetter claimed he had been acting in self defence.

The trial continues.