A FATHER-of-four terrified a car full of teenagers with a series of dangerous manoeuvres before reversing into them on the A12 leaving them with painful injuries.

Simon Tomlinson

A FATHER-of-four terrified a car full of teenagers with a series of dangerous manoeuvres before reversing into them on the A12 leaving them with painful injuries.

Stuart Baldwin claimed he was tired and over-worked when he carried out his frightening stunts in Suffolk last year.

The 38-year-old has avoided a prison sentence after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop and failing to report an accident, but he has been placed on a curfew and looks set to lose his job.

Ipswich Crown Court heard yesterday that Baldwin came up behind a Ford Fiesta being driven by 18-year-old Emma Burrows on October 21.

Miss Burrows, her boyfriend and three friends were travelling to Lowestoft after shopping in Ipswich.

As she passed the Martlesham roundabout at around 9pm, she noticed a car behind her with its fog lights on.

When the road became a single carriageway after the Wickham Market bypass, Baldwin tailgated her and flashed his headlights, said prosecutor Naomi Turner.

Baldwin, of Sarsen Close, Halesworth, overtook in his silver estate and accelerated away before performing an emergency stop, forcing Miss Burrows to brake hard.

In a statement, Miss Burrows said: “I was becoming panicked not knowing what the driver was going to do.”

She added that Baldwin pulled away and was seen swerving across both lanes of the road.

Once again, Baldwin performed an emergency stop and then reversed into the Fiesta.

Miss Burrows said: “He hit the car very hard. The impact was loud and the bonnet crumpled up towards me.”

Mrs Turner said Miss Burrows was admitted to hospital with neck and back problems.

The teenagers had also been left mentally scarred by what Baldwin's own lawyer described as “an astonishing bit of driving”, but they managed to note down his registration number and he was arrested two days later.

The court was told that Baldwin drove around 200 miles a week for his job and that he would not be able to continue with his employment without a driving licence.

He was given a 36-week prison sentence suspended for two years and handed a curfew for 13 weeks.

He was also ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work and disqualified from driving for 12 months. He must also pay costs of �750 within 28 days.

simon.tomlinson@eadt.co.uk