Rugby man 'saw red' and chased man with baseball bat after traffic collision

Fortunately for both of them, Keelan Boyle then abandoned his pursuit and even tried to calm his girlfriend down when she confronted the driver.

And that saved him from a prison term when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court after pleading guilty to having an offensive weapon, threatening behaviour, common assault and causing damage.

Boyle (20) of Cambridge Street, Rugby, was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for 12 months, with a 15-day rehabilitation activity, and was ordered to pay £200 compensation.

Prosecutor Lucinda Wilmott-Lascelles said that at one in the afternoon on Sunday November 18 Boyle was a passenger in his girlfriend’s VW in Cambridge Street.

A Vauxhall Corsa driven by Sergiu Erhan came out of a side road and hit the driver’s side of the VW.

“The defendant exited the vehicle and approached Mr Erhan’s driver’s side carrying a baseball bat.

“While Mr Erhan was still in the driver’s seat, the defendant smashed the driver’s window, which caused it to smash, and the glass caused a cut to Mr Erhan’s face and fingers.”

To get away, Mr Erhan climbed across his brother, who was sitting next to him, and got out of the passenger door before running up the road, chased for a short distance by Boyle who then returned to the scene of the crash.

Mr Erhan spoke to some passers-by and borrowed their phone to call the police who arrived and arrested Boyle.

When he was interviewed, Boyle said he had had a heavy session the night before and did not remember much about the incident – but was shown a CCTV recording and accepted it was him.

The recording, which was played in court, also showed that back at the scene of the crash, he had tried to stop his girlfriend confronting Mr Erhan.

Miss Wilmott-Lascelles added that Boyle had one previous conviction for offences of causing damage.

Boyle’s barrister said he was ‘shocked at the way he behaved.’

“He lost his temper. He accepts his reaction to the collision was excessive and inappropriate.”

But she pointed out that bat had been in the car because he had been playing with his nephew the day before – and the ball was also still in the car.

Sentencing Boyle, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “There was a car accident. Whatever went wrong, you lost your temper and made the great mistake of picking up a baseball bat and smashing the window of the other car.

“Mr Erhan, who was in that car, was clearly terrified as he ran up the street pursued by you.

“But it is right to say you stopped of your own accord and returned and put the bat back in the car.

“You have clearly got a problem controlling your temper. You have got to be more careful.”