HORRIFIED bystanders saw a motorist deliberately drive his car into a man on a residential Carlisle street, leaving him crumpled on the ground with appalling injuries.

The city’s crown court heard that the background to the attack was a simmering feud between two couples – 31-year-old Daniel English and his partner Claire Porter and victim Darren Read and his partner.

That ill-feeling boiled over on January 13 when English drove his car to Ullswater Road, Carlisle, where Mr Read lived.

When he and his partner came out of their house armed – he with a crow bar and she with a wheel brace – English deliberately drove his Audi A4 directly at Mr Read, catapulting him into the air.

He suffered multiple fractures to his face, skull, ribs and arm.

Mr Read was so badly injured he was airlifted to hospital in Newcastle for emergency surgery.

English, of Stonegarth, Morton, Carlisle, who admitted intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, was jailed for six years and 10 months.

Porter, 33, of Greta Avenue, Carlisle, who helped him flee after the attack and booked him into a Keswick hotel, admitted assisting an offender.

She was fined £500.

Prosecutor Joseph Allman outlined how there had been days of friction between the defendant and his partner on one side on Mr Read and his partner on the other.

After English saw Mr Read an his partner in the street and armed, he accelerated towards his victim at between 15 and 25mph.

The collision happened with such force a windscreen wiper was ripped off, along with a clump of Mr Read’s hair. Two of his teeth were knocked out and there was a gash to his head.

English drove away, leaving Mr Read lying on the road, badly injured.

In a statement, Mr Read spoke of the lasting impact of the attack.

He said: “This assault has had an impact on me physically and mentally. It has changed me completely. Physically, I am never out of pain. Mentally, it is as hard for me as it is physically. I have nightmares almost every night. I see myself being hit by the car over and over again and flying through the air, as if from the eyes of someone else.

“I know that I am going to be affected by this for the rest of my life.”

Ben Campbell, for English, handed over several character reference, saying the defendant was remorseful. Jeff Smith, for Porter, said that she would not trouble the courts again.

Recorder Nicholas Clarke QC told English nothing justified his behaviour. He banned him from driving for seven years and five months and banned him and Porter from Ullswater Road or contacting with Mr Read or his partner.