AN AUDI driver crashed his friend’s powerful car into a central island after engaging in “competitive driving” with another motorist.

Bolton Crown Court heard how estate agent owner Kenneth Ross had been annoyed by another Audi driver on the morning of Sunday August 7 last year.

“He adamantly says he was not racing,” said Michael Maher, defending.

“He says it was competitive driving. This wasn’t two people engaged in racing from A to B.

“He candidly accepted a degree of irritation caused by a man who had cut him up. He tried to get back in front of him again because he thought he was a danger.”

Duncan Wilcock, prosecuting, told the court how the two drivers had headed down Trinity Street at 10.40am onto Bridgeman Place and to Bradford Street where 26-year-old Ross hit a central reservation at the junction with the A666 and collided with street furniture.

Fortunately a woman crossing the road at the time was not injured.

Mr Wilcock said witnesses estimate the blue Audi was travelling at 50mph on the busy road and Ross’ black Audi was speeding at 40mph in the 30mph limit.

An estimated £10,000 damage was caused to the street furniture and the Audi Ross was driving, which belonged to a female friend, cost £30,000 to repair.

Ross, of Arnold Street, Bolton, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. The court heard the father-of-one did not know the other driver and has no previous criminal convictions.

Mr Maher stressed that the dangerous driving was not prolonged, lasting only a minute and said that when a car pulled into the lane in front of him Ross had deliberately chosen to drive into the street furniture rather than hitting another vehicle or a pedestrian.

“It was the lesser of two evils, aiming for that caged area,” he said.

He added that Ross been on his way to collect his six-month-old daughter from her mother at the time and is now paying his friend for the damage to her car, already having handed over £4,000.

“In the blink of an eye, for less than a moment, his world has been turned upside down,” said Mr Maher.

Recorder Rowena Goode decided not to jail Ross immediately, instead sentencing him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

He must also undertake 200 hours unpaid work and he was banned from holding a driving licence for 12 months, after which he must take an extended retest.

“I accept your regret for this incident and take into account there have been considerable consequences for you,” she told him.