'Road rage' vet given driving ban

The court heard Nieddu had suffered a mental breakdown

A vet who rammed into other motorists before threatening drivers with a stethoscope and an umbrella has been banned from driving for two years.

Felice Nieddu, 47, of Norwich, had admitted dangerous driving, assaulting a police officer and common assault.

The vet was driving his silver Chevrolet along the A11 near Wymondham, Norfolk, on 25 February when the incidents occurred.

Norwich Crown Court heard on Thursday he had suffered a mental breakdown.

'Rammed them apart'

Nick Methold, prosecuting, said that Nieddu, who is from Sardinia, but whose practice was based at the Natural Horse Centre in Norfolk, smashed into three cars and then drove between two cars stopped at a roundabout and "rammed them apart".

Mr Methold told the court: "Having got his vehicle stuck in the position, with nowhere to go, he then sat in his car and revved the engine so hard that the road surface caught fire due to the prolonged wheel spin."

He said that Nieddu then emerged from the car, climbed on to the roof and began lashing out at other drivers and police who arrived on the scene.

Michael Clare, mitigating, said his client had suffered a total mental breakdown.

'Deeply sorry'

"His behaviour can only be described as bizarre," he said. "It was significantly out of keeping with his normal behaviour and character."

He added: "The defendant is in a much better state of mental repair now and has asked me to empathise how deeply sorry he is now that he appreciates more fully what he has done."

Judge Alasdair Darroch banned Nieddu from driving for two years and ordered him to take a retest before being allowed back on the road.

He also ordered Nieddu to follow mental health advice and deferred sentencing for six months.