Man faces jail over attack on driving instructor in Darwen (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Man faces jail over attack on driving instructor in Darwen

3:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News By Andrew Bellard, Court reporter

A DRIVING instructor was attacked as he gave a lesson to a young woman in Darwen on a Saturday morning.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Matthew Warren kicked the car as the learner carried out a three-point turn.

And when Christopher Peacock got out to remonstrate with Warren he was assaulted then asked if he wanted to be stabbed.

“That was a very frightening threat coming as the defendant put a hand in a pocket suggesting he had a knife,” said Claire Grant, prosecuting.

Warren, 22, of Walmsley Street, Darwen, admitted assaulting Mr Peacock and damaging a Toyota Yaris. He was jailed for eight weeks for the assault and a further eight weeks for being in breach of a suspended prison sentence imp- osed just 11 days before the latest offences.

Mrs Grant said Mr Peacock was giving a driving lesson when for no reason at all Warren kicked a panel on the car. When he got out, Mr Peacock was initially confronted by another man who threatened to punch him if he didn’t get back in his car.

Warren then got involved and grabbed hold of Mr Peacock by the wrists.

“Mr Peacock pulled free and tried to walk back to his car, and as he did, Warren put a hand in his pocket and said he had a knife,” said Mrs Grant.

“He threatened to stab Mr Peacock two or three times.”

As Mr Peacock got to his car he asked his student to slide over to the passenger seat and he got into the driver’s side.

“There was a further struggle as the defendant tried to stop him shutting the door,” said Mrs Grant. “This was clearly a frightening incident both for Mr Peacock and his student.”

Gareth Price, defending, said his client had ‘no illusions’ about the sentence to be imposed and accepted he would be going to prison.

“He is at a loss to explain to you why at 9.10am he behaved in the way described,” said Mr Price.

He said Warren had successfully battled an addiction to cocaine but to some extent had replaced it with alcohol dependance.

He had been out the night before and was convinced someone had spiked his drink.

“He woke up in the police station and had no idea what he had been involved in,” said Mr Price.

“He accepts it would have been a distressing incident for Mr Peacock and also for the lady who was on a driving lesson.”