Van driver flew into rage after '˜near miss' outside Worthing shops

When her husband confronted him, Paul Good blew his top and threatened to fight him, according to the prosecution.

UPDATE: Click here to read the story from the sentencing

Good, 33, from Belsize Road in Worthing, admitted threatening behaviour as well as criminal damage when he appeared at Worthing Magistrates’ Court this morning.

Prosecutor David Reader said: “On Sunday, February 4, (the husband) drove his wife and young child to the Goring Road shops.

“His wife got out of the vehicle to cross the road and had to jump back.”

Good’s van was driving ‘at speed’, Mr Reader told the court, and almost hit the woman.

Her husband parked the car and went to speak to Good, who had parked up and gone into Costa Coffee.

Mr Reader said: “(The woman’s husband) followed him inside to tell him about the near miss.

“The defendant became verbally abusive towards (him), getting right up in his face swearing at him.

“At one point he even indicated that he wanted to take him outside to fight.”

The pair were eventually asked to leave by Costa Coffee staff.

“Once outside this defendant Mr Good continued to verbally abuse the victim causing him to fear for his safety.”

Apparently calming down, the defendant later shook hands with him, who then walked away.

However this was not the end of the abuse.

The prosecutor told the court: “As (the man) walked back towards his vehicle this defendant followed down the road shouting and waving his hands in the air some sort of rage.

“(As he) started to drive away the defendant jumped towards the car and kicked the front offside light, causing it to smash.”

The man was forced to re-park his car to survey the damage.

The pair checked on their baby, who was sitting in the back of their vehicle, and got out to speak to Good.

At this point Good approached the man’s wife and started verbally abusing her, the prosecutor said, causing her to fear she was going to be assaulted.

Finally the defendant drove off, ‘honking his horn and swearing’, Mr Reader told the court.

District judge Amanda Kelly told Good that he would get credit for his guilty plea.

She said: “I note that you are not somebody who has been before the courts for a long time. It seems to be out of character.”

Good was bailed and is due to appear in court again on September 10.

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