A JEALOUS husband who caught his partially-clothed wife in an intimate clinch with another man drove after their car at speed and repeatedly rammed it until it crashed, a court has heard.

Father-of-three Alan Stephens “lost his head” after seeing his wife Gretta with her work colleague Philip Davis in his parked car and when they drove off – with the driver’s seat still in the reclined position – he chased them along Corton Long Lane, near Lowestoft, trying to overtake them and deliberately ramming the rear of Mr Davis’s car, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

Stephens sounded his horn and tried to push Mr Davis’s car off the road and at one stage caused the vehicle to spin round, said Michael Crimp, prosecuing.

Mr Davis’s car left the road after being rammed again and it hit trees and bushes before coming to a stop. Mr Davis lost consciousness and came round to find Stephens pouring vodka over him and hitting his arm.

As a result of the incident Mr Davis suffered injuries to his ribs and bruising and swelling to his arm and Mrs Stephens had cuts on her elbow and back and bruising.

She later told police that her husband had rammed Mr Davis’s car four or five times.

Stephens, 48, of Station Road, Corton, admitted dangerous driving and assaulting Mr Davis by beating and was given a 26-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months and banned from driving for 18 months. He was ordered to pay £300 compensation to Mr Davis and £200 prosecution costs.

Sentencing him, Judge John Devaux said Stephens had been in a state of high emotion and a red mist had descended when he saw his wife with Mr Davis.

He said Stephens had chased after Mr Davis’s car for about two miles at high speed and had rammed the vehicle at least twice.

Andrew Thompson, for Stephens, said his client had gone out looking for his wife and had come across her in a partially undressed state in an intimate clinch with Mr Davis.

He said Stephens had been aware of his wife’s affair and had feared she was going to leave him. “He was in a state of high emotion.

“He thought he was losing his family and everything he held dear,” said Mr Thompson.

He said that, on seeing Stephens, Mr Davis had driven off with the driver’s seat of his car in the reclined position and Stephens had driven after them with the intention of stopping the car and asking Mr Davis to stay away from his family.

The court heard that Stephens and his wife were reconciled and her relationship with Mr Davis was over.