THE “red mist” descended when an autistic man repeatedly rammed the car of a driver who was annoying his pregnant girlfriend.

Matthew Reynolds, aged 22, of Cleeve Drive, Warndon, Worcester, admitted driving dangerously when he appeared before city magistrates on Friday.

The defendant’s driving was considered so “dangerous”, “deliberate” and “prolonged” that magistrates ordered the case to be heard in the crown court.

Reynolds received a call from his girlfriend in Malvern, who is seven months pregnant, in the early hours of Monday, April 1, about the behaviour of Simon Hughes, the court was told.

Sarah Stock, prosecuting, said his girlfriend told him Mr Hughes was driving his Ford Fiesta around a car park in Malvern at 1.30am and causing “annoyance”. Reynolds then contacted Mr Hughes by phone, they had an argument, and it was agreed they would meet in Malvern to “resolve their issues”. Having driven towards Malvern, Reynolds could not find Mr Hughes and turned around but saw him driving in the opposite direction. Reynolds turned around and followed him, catching up with him at the petrol forecourt in Powick on the A449.

Mrs Stock said Reynolds then overtook Mr Hughes and performed “an enforced stop” in his grey Vauxhall Astra, which prompted Mr Hughes to do a U-turn and drive back towards Worcester, pursued by Reynolds.

Mrs Stock said: “He pursued Mr Hughes down the A449 and drove at speed into the rear of his car five times.”

The number plate and bumper were cracked and the bottom of the boot was dented.

Reynolds told police: “I don’t know what I was thinking – I just got angry.” He said he had a form of autism and had previously suffered violent outbursts, was seeking psychological assistance and told them “the red mist came down”. Mrs Stock said: “He accepted he could have killed someone.”

Mr Hughes had two passengers with him in the car. Mrs Stock said: “The victims have expressed fear and shock.”

Paul Stanley, defending, said: “He’s a young man and never been in trouble before.”

Reynolds will next appear in Worcester Crown Court on May 10. He was given an interim driving disqualification until the hearing and was granted bail on condition he does not contact, directly or indirectly, Simon Hughes, Ben Phillips or Sam Wykes.