A 23-YEAR-OLD Whitminster man jumped out in front of a moving car near Stroud because he mistakenly thought one of the occupants was a woman who had been harassing him, a court heard today.
But the people in the car had no connection with James Woodward at all and the driver had to brake hard and swerve to avoid hitting him, Gloucester Crown Court was told.
Indignant driver Philip Brown got out of his car to confront Woodward and a 'heated exchange' ensued, during which Woodward produced a knife, it was alleged.
Mr Brown claimed he and his passenger were threatened with the knife but Woodward did not accept that.
The prosecution did not pursue the issue in view of his guilty pleas to charges of possessing a bladed article and using behaviour which caused alarm or distress.
After hearing that Woodward suffers from mental health problems the judge, Recorder Richard Smith QC, passed a 12-month community order on him.
He made it a condition of the order that Woodward receives mental health treatment.
Prosecutor Caighli Taylor said the incident happened on July 24 last year on the A419 in Stroud when Woodward, of Northfield Park, Whitminster, was standing at the side of the road.
"He jumped out in front of two oncoming cars," she said.
"One swerved to avoid him but he then jumped out again in front of the second car and Mr Brown had to swerve and brake hard.
"Mr Brown stopped his car and challenged him. The defendant said he was playing a prank and thought the car belonged to a friend.
“A heated exchanged ensued and he was seen to pull a knife from his bag.
"The incident ended with him telling Mr Brown and his partner to 'get back in the car and jog off.'
"Mr Brown called the police. The defendant was identified by a fingerprint on the windscreen.
“He was arrested and he said he thought the car was being driven by a female who had been harassing him.
"He said he had been drinking and may have taken cannabis.
"The prosecution can confirm it is true that he had made numerous reports to the police before this incident about someone who had been following him and harassing him.
"He has no previous criminal convictions but he has had a caution for possession of an offensive weapon, a hammer, and using threatening behaviour."
Defence barrister Suzanne Payne urged the court not to jail Woodward immediately but to take a psychiatric report into consideration and pass a suspended sentence.
However recorder Smith said in view of the psychiatric and pre-sentence reports he would give Woodward a chance to undergo treatment which would hopefully prevent him from ever re-offending.
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