A ROAD rage attacker who grabbed a driver round the throat after ploughing into his car left his victim needing hospital treatment.

David Taylor was on his way to pick his wife up from work when Kevin Eccleston smashed into his Suzuki Swift in Hastings Drive, Warndon.

Droitwich magistrates heard it was dusk and raining heavily when Mr Taylor set off on Monday, December 11.

"He had only driven there once before and wasn't sure of the way," said Doreece Gunter, prosecuting. "He came to a junction on the right and was moving at about 20mph when he felt a bang to the rear of his vehicle."

Mr Taylor was catapulted forward and banged his head. He jumped out - to be confronted by 38-year-old Eccleston.

"He had his arms above his head, shouting, 'you ******* ****** - look what you've done to my car'," Miss Gunter said.

"The defendant stuck his clenched fist under Mr Taylor's nose and shouted, 'the insurance better not sting me - it's your ******* fault'."

Eccleston, of Cranham Drive, Warndon, wrote his details down, but missed out his registration number.

When Mr Taylor wrote it himself, Eccleston saw red and grabbed him by the throat.

"He had him with both hands and pushed him down until his knees were on the grass," Miss Gunter added.

Mr Taylor wriggled free and raced to Ronkswood A&E with a badly-swollen throat and sore shoulders.

Eccleston denied assaulting Mr Taylor and using threatening words or behaviour. But he failed to show up for his trial last month and the bench convicted him in his absence.

Joe Kieran, defending, said the 38-year-old was incensed with Mr Taylor's dithering, alleging he was reading a map.

"Mr Taylor unexpectedly changed direction," he said. "My client cursed the appalling driving."

He said Eccleston, who overlooked the trial because he was at a friend's funeral, had previously been in a motorbike smash.

As a result of his injuries, his left leg was an inch shorter than his right.

"Having gone through that appalling experience, what he considered to be crass driving put him at risk again," he added.

Eccleston was fined £180, told to pay £100 costs and ordered to pay £75 compensation.