A rush hour driver who launched a high-kicking mar
A rush hour driver who launched a high-kicking martial arts attack on another motorist has walked free from court.
Worried commuters stuck in heavy traffic locked their doors as Derek Holness launched a road rage assault when frustrated at delays making him late for an appointment.
But the 29-year-old maintained he only took up a ‘Bruce Lee stance’ and resorted to violence after being threatened with a mallet.
It was the start of a prolonged episode of violence in front of the occupants of vehicles stalled in traffic.
At London’s Southwark Crown Court Holness, of Pinner Road, Northwood Mills, Mddx, was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Greg Knight, affray and damaging property on May 14 this year.
He claimed he acted in self-defence after being threatened by Mr Knight, who had a hammer in his hand as he attempted to defuse the situation.
But witnesses maintained it was Holness who was the aggressor – even helping box in his car after the violence to stop him driving off before police arrived.
Ordering Holness to serve 40 hours community service, Judge Paul Dodgson said the offences were serious enough to justify a jail sentence.
However, he accepted despite the defendant’s ‘disgraceful’ driving, there had been an element of provocation caused by the victim emerging from his car armed with the weapon.
The judge also ordered Holness to pay pnds stlng 88 compensation for the car window he smashed, and pnds stlng 105 in costs.
Mr Knight, 40, was nearing the end of his journey home to Rickmansworth from just outside Southend when the attack took place.
Mr Knight said as he left dual carriageway he was caught behind a line of vehicles when Mr Holness pulled up alongside.
‘He suddenly jumped out of his car.
At this point I knew I was in trouble because there was nowhere I could go,’ said Mr Knight.
‘His manner was aggressive, bordering on violent.
It terrified me.
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The frightened driver grabbed a metal-headed mallet in the hope of scaring off Holness, only to be told by the defendant ‘I’ll have you.
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Mr Knight said the hammer was part of a kit for a ‘bouncy castle’ earlier used in the street party and was in the car to be returned to its owner.
He denied he intended to use it as a weapon.
‘I had my hands up and shouted ”enough, stop it”,’
But he said as he turned to go back to his vehicle, Holness attacked.
‘He took a Bruce Lee stance, he just came towards me with this Bruce Lee thing.
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he started with these Bruce Lee style karate kicks, his feet were coming head high.
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He said he managed to fend off ‘a couple’ of the kicks but alleged Holness then ‘lunged forward’ and ‘smothered’ him as they both fell to the ground, the hammer sliding away across the tarmac.
Mr Knight said he managed to crawl to the hammer, trapping it safely underneath his body as he suffered more violence from his attacker.
‘It was just a whole barrage of beating.
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he was on my back and had his hands around my neck,’ he said.
‘He got off and kicked me, I felt this almighty pain.
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He said he managed to get up and return to his car, throwing the mallet into the footwell but before he could climb inside, he said Holness ran up and blocked him ‘and just started slamming the car door against me.
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Mr Knight said he did manage to slide into the driver’s seat but as he went to close the door, it was yanked open with enough force to leave him sat holding the handle.
He managed to close and lock the door but as he ‘phoned police ‘there was a bang and I was showered with glass’ as Holness punched through the window.
Bizarrely, his attacker then said: ‘I don’t think you really want to call the police.
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you must have bald tyres and no road tax’, before suddenly saying ‘I am sorry, I have to leave, I have got an urgent appointment’.
Holness returned to his car but found he ‘had nowhere to go’ as the vehicle was trapped by other cars.
The court heard the victim was left with a fractured rib, cuts and bruises and the skin scraped off both knees – one later becoming infected.
Jane Bickerstaff, prosecuting, said the incident ‘what is commonly known as road rage’ took place after the victim noticed an ‘impatient’ driver trying to get passed him after he left the M25 at junction 18.
She said in his rear view mirror, Mr Knight watched the car ‘appear to be right up his back bumper, going from side to side to get an opportunity to get around
and away.
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Miss Bickerstaff said Holness ‘became agitated’ over the amount of traffic because he could not overtake.
She said the ‘loutish’ violence began when the victim was stopped by other vehicles on a slip road and Holness pulled alongside.
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