Road rage motorist facing jail

Jane Hunt

A SUFFOLK motorist who left two passengers in a car suffering from whiplash after a road-rage incident on the A12 has been warned that he could be given a prison sentence.

Father-of-three Stuart Baldwin was upset by the “relatively slow and erratic speed” of a car containing four young people on the A12 at Benhall and had braked sharply in front of the car before reversing hard into it, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The other vehicle was damaged in the incident and two of the passengers suffered whiplash injuries.

Baldwin, 38, of Sarsen Close, Halesworth, had denied dangerous driving on the A12 on October 21 last year and was due to stand trial next week.

However, yesterday he changed his plea to guilty and also entered guilty pleas to offences of failing to stop and give his name and address after an accident and failing to report an accident.

Judge Neil McKittrick adjourned the case until the beginning of April for a pre-sentence report and said that although all sentencing options would be open to the court a custodial sentence was a possibility.

He said the vehicle Baldwin had reversed into was damaged to such an extent that the owner had speculated it might be a write-off.

He said that Baldwin's justification for what he had done was the relatively slow and erratic speed at which the vehicle had been driven.

Baldwin had been traced after one of the passengers of the car had “the presence of mind” to make a note of his registration number.

Godfried Duah, prosecuting, said Baldwin had no previous convictions but did have three penalty points on his licence.

Richard Wood for Baldwin said he had a long term partner and three children.

He worked in Watford and drove 700 miles per week. “He accepts he must be banned and must take an extended driving test,” said Mr Wood.

Judge McKittrick agreed not to pass an interim driving ban on Baldwin.