A farmer has told a court how he was forced off the road by a laughing driver who aimed his car at him because of a family feud.
Young father Lee Chappell is alleged to have deliberately driven at the farmerTony Stevens' Suzuki jeep in the main street of a North Devon village and forced him to veer onto the pavement.
A retired social worker who was driving behind Mr Stevens said he was also forced to take evading action and told Exeter Crown Court 'whoever was driving that car will either kill themselves of someone else if they carry on driving like that.
A long running feud between Mr Stevens and Chappell's family led to the incident in the centre of Combe Martin in April last year, the jury were told.
Butcher's son Chappell, aged 25, of Victoria Street, Combe Martin, denied dangerous driving. He says Mr Stevens drove at him in a game of chicken.
Farmer and former fisherman Mr Stevens said the problems with Chappell dated back to an incident five years ago at his brother-in-law's house where Chappell's ex girlfriend and their baby were living.
He described the family as bullies and said Chappell and his brother Ben made abusive gestures towards him whenever they saw him.
He said he was driving through the centre of Combe Martin with his five-year-old son when he saw a burgundy coloured Peugeot coming in the opposite direction.
He said:"He came over to my side of the road and aimed straight at me. There was no reason for him to be on my side of the road. It was definitely deliberate and aggressive.
"I swerved away and must have mounted the kerb. I had to swerve to avoid the car. There was no collision but it was close enough to make me nearly soil myself.
"I turned around and chased after the vehicle but I could not keep up and went to his dad's shop and spoke to him. He said he would be careful but added 'be careful, I know my boys'.
"I recognised Lee Chappell as the driver as he went past laughing his head off at me."
Retired social worker Trevor Dunkerley, aged 75, said he was following Mr Stevens' white Suzuki and also had to take avoiding action.
He said:"I was amazed when the vehicle coming towards us suddenly veered into the road so violently the passenger's head was thrown against the window.
"The vehicle in front of me swerved to the left and I followed because I was at risk as well. I could see absolutely no reason at all and what really concerned me was that the driver was laughing.
"I did not recognise the other occupants. That sort of driving was completely unjustified. I believe whoever was driving that car will kill himself of someone else if he carries on driving like that."
Chappell told the jury he'd had no contact with Mr Stevens since the incident with his brother in law in 2010 and did not recognise his Suzuki jeep as he drove past the Post Office.
He said he had his girlfriend and their one year-old baby in the car and would not have done anything to put them at risk and had been shocked by the near collision.
He said he pulled out on a narrow section of the road to pass two cars parked outside the shop and then found Mr Stevens driving straight at him.
He said:"The jeep was coming towards me and would not slow down so I had to cut in around the cars and he kept on going up through the street. I saw it was him.
"I never drove at him. I had my girlfriend and young baby in the car and I would never do that. I would never run anyone off the road.
"It was a very tight squeeze. I did not swerve towards him deliberately. I pulled into a lane down the road and stopped because I was shaken up by it."
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