A DELIVERY driver was followed to a remote address and attacked by another motorist.

Michael Christopher Greenwood punched his victim four times and kicked him three times during the attack after telling him; “I told you I would catch up with you.”

Greenwood, 39, of Shelfield Road, Nelson, was convicted in his absence of assaulting Craig McBeth.

He was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, and made subject to a community order for 12 months with 15 days' rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the victim, £300 court costs and £122 victim surcharge.

Tracy Yates, prosecuting, said Mr McBeth was delivering newspapers at 7am on Sunday, September 1, last year when he noticed a VW behind him on Langroyd Road.

He continued on the A56 into Foulridge and turned up a small lane opposite the church.

“When he stopped at a gate to the house where he was delivering the VW pulled up behind and the defendant got out,” said Mrs Yates.

“After making the comment about catching up he punched the aggrieved to the head, knocking him into a hedge, before hitting him again and kicking him repeatedly.”

Mrs Yates said the incident was caught on the aggrieved’s dashcam which went against the defendant’s claim that Mr McBeth had spat at him.

After assaulting the other man Greenwood got back in his car and drove off. She said Mr McBeth knew Greenwood as a friend of a friend.

“The magistrates who found the case proved in the defendant’s absence said it was a pre-meditated attack in a remote area and that there had been four punches followed by three kicks with a shod foot,” said Mrs Yates.

Gareth Price, defending, said because he did not attend the trial Greenwood had been unable to put forward his version of events and stood to be sentenced on what the aggrieved had said.

“He always admitted an altercation and some form of assault,” said Mr Price.

“The issue was whether there was any misbehaviour by the complainant which caused the reaction from my client.”

Mr Price said his client had not been in trouble for 18 years and the probation service described him as a low risk of further offending.