A LAND Rover driver repeatedly rammed a Honda on “Ram Alley”.

Jake Ham, 20, was driving the 4x4 on false plates, without insurance and while towing another vehicle when he came face-to-face with the Honda on the single-track road near Burbage in May 2019.

Prosecutor Rhianna Fricker told Swindon Crown Court the driver of the Honda was on Ram Alley when he saw the Land Rover Discovery coming towards him.

Both drivers applied their brakes and skidded towards each other. The cars crashed head-on.

Ms Fricker said: “The defendant then reversed the Land Rover a number of times and drove it towards the victim’s car on three occasions, making a connection with it and causing further damage.

“It appeared to the victim the defendant was trying to manoeuvre his car around [the Honda] in order to leave the scene.”

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

Jake Ham outside Swindon Crown Court Picture: ADVER PHOTOGRAPHER

He was unable to get the bulky Land Rover and its trailer load past and fled the scene on foot.

When police arrived they discovered the 4x4 was showing false plates. It was registered to a non-existent company based in Faringdon, Ms Fricker said. Ham, who was 18 at the time, was not insured to drive the car.

The driver of the Honda suffered a bloodied nose and whiplash.

Ham answered no comment to questions put to him in interview.

Tony Bignall, mitigating, asked the judge to bear in mind his client was still a young man. He had had a difficult upbringing, but was now trying to set up his own waste disposal business and employed a friend. He lived with his partner in Lechlade.

Ham, of Butler’s Field, Lechlade, pleaded guilty at the magistrates’ court to dangerous driving, driving without insurance, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and fraudulent use of a licence plate.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

Ram Alley, near Burbage Picture: GOOGLE

Sentencing him to six months’ custody suspended for two years, Recorder Roger Harris said: “On May 11, 2019, whilst you were driving a Land Rover Discovery you were involved in a head-on collision with a Honda. It is not suggested that collision in itself constituted dangerous driving, but what happened thereafter certainly did.

“Quite inexplicably following the collision you reversed then attempted on a number of occasions to ram the car with which you’d just collided to get past and leave the scene.

“When that was not possible you made off on foot.”

Ham was ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 30 hours at an attendance centre and pay £240 prosecution costs. He was banned from driving for two years and must pass an extended retest if he wishes to drive again.