by Court Reporter

A ROAD rage driver dragged his girlfriend out of his car by her hair after she begged him to slow down.

Justin Gelsthorpe was already driving too fast during an argument with his partner when he thought he had been cut up by another car.

He responded by driving alongside it and trying to force it off the road by swerving violently towards the side of the other car.

Gelsthorpe then drove off at speed and ignored pleas from passenger Laura Hart to slow down or stop to let her out.

She was so frightened by his driving that she climbed into the back seat in an attempt to protect a five-month-old baby who was in a child seat.

Gelsthorpe stopped near the Devon County Show ground at Westpoint and then pulled her out of the back seat by her hair and attacked her on the roadside.

He threw a plastic drinks bottle at her and forced her to drink a bottle of wine which she had just bought at a supermarket, leaving her with stains down her clothing.

A passing motorist was so shocked by his violence that he stopped, took a picture on his mobile phone, and called the police.

Gelsthorpe (38), of Highfield, Lapford, admitted dangerous driving and assault by battery when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court.

He was banned from driving for a year, ordered to take an extended re-test and ordered to attend a Building Better Relationships course and 35 days of rehabilitation activities.

He was also ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid community work under a 30-month community order.

He was also banned from further contact with Miss Hart by a three-year restraining order.

Judge David Evans told him: "You drove as if to force someone else off the road and the risk of harm, even if it did not occur, was not just of damage but of significant injury.

“The assault comes into the highest category for this type of offence. Aside from the physical injury, you threw an item at her and pulled her hair.

“It was more serious because it was against a partner and she was degraded and humiliated by the way you behaved towards her and poured wine over her.”

Miss Emily Pitts, prosecuting, said an argument started after they had both been shopping in Exeter and he wanted to go for fish and chips in Dawlish while she wanted to visit a friend.

He started driving fast on Rydon Lane and then started tailgating a car which he thought had cut him up.

He then pulled alongside and tried to swerve into it, forcing the other driver to take avoiding action.

Miss Hart asked him to slow down and to let her out but he refused until they reached Westpoint, where he pulled into a layby and attacked her.

She suffered bruises and pain in her head from where he pulled out lumps of her hair. She made a victim statement saying she felt broken by the assault.

Mr Brian Fitzherbert, defending, said that attending an anti-domestic violence course was the best way of avoiding further offending.

He said Gelsthorpe realised he was losing his temper during the early stages of the argument and had tried calling a counsellor for advice, but it had not worked and he "lost himself in rage".

He normally works as a builder but is currently on benefits and has very little income.