A ROAD rage driver followed his victim through Bolton streets before smashing him over the head with a steering lock.

Motorist Ismail Parvez was left with a gash to his skull needing 11 stitches following the incident outside the Evolution garage on Avenue Street, Bolton.

Robert Wyn Jones told Bolton Crown Court how tempers flared when the drivers, both in BMWs , encountered each other at a roundabout and there was a dispute.

“The parties did not know each other and Qasim Shahbaz’s BMW did a u-turn to follow,” said Mr Wyn Jones

Shahbaz who was driving his car with Talha Patel in the front passenger seat followed the other BMW, driven by Ismail Parvez, with his brother, Zeshan Parvez as a passenger, from the Spa Road area to Avenue Street, where he pulled up at an angle behind his victims’ car.

Furious Patel got out of his car and armed himself with a deodorant aerosol in the incident on the afternoon of July 27, 2018.

“He was shouting that the boys were coming and they would kill them,” said Mr Wyn Jones, who added that Patel started spraying Zeshan Parvez in the face.

Meanwhile Shahbaz, who had armed himself with a steering lock, started brandishing it and shouting and screaming.

Ismail got in front of his brother in order to protect him before Shahbaz drove off with Patel standing up with his head through the sunroof.

“There were a number of witnesses to that incident who were shocked and frightened and called the police,” said Mr Wyn Jones.

But Shahbaz’s car later returned and the garage owner tried to broker peace but Shahbaz smashed Ismail over the head with the steering lock as he was walking away.

“Both defendants, realising what they had done, jumped back into their vehicle,” said Mr Wyn Jones.

Qasim Shahbaz, aged 26, of Spa Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, affray and possessing cannabis, which was found when he was arrested. Talha Patel, aged 25, of Bertrand Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to affray.

Amanda Johnson, defending Shahbaz, stressed that the assault was three years ago and, since then, he has stayed out of trouble and recently graduated with a degree in business management.

“This really can be viewed as an isolated incident,” she said.

“He accepts his wrongdoing. He was clearly a younger man at the time. He was perhaps rather more hot-headed and foolish.”

Oliver Jarvis, for Patel, said the mechanic is remorseful.

“He is desperate to put this behind him,” he said.

Recorder Philip Grundy told Shahbaz and Patel: “It is refreshing to see the constructive nature of your lives over the last three years.”

Shahbaz was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 18 months and ordered him to do 100 hours of unpaid work as well as pay his victim £1,000 in compensation.

Patel was sentenced to an 18 month community order with 150 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

Recorder Grundy told them: “It was the classic young men, for no apparent reason other than perhaps poor driving on the part of somebody else, becoming angry.

“I accept you both regret your actions because it seems to this court that a red mist came down.

“Other members of the public were seeking to calm things down. Sadly, they were not able to succeed.”