Dealer drove off at speed with grandad on his bonnet during Leeds road-rage clash

Ashton Sutton-Barrow drove straight at the man after verbal spat on St Chad’s Road in Headingley, and was forced to jump onto the bonnet of his Vauxhall or go under the wheels in the terrifying incident witnessed by the man’s granddaughter.

Sutton-Barrow then accelerated away as the victim tried to grab onto the windscreen wipers, prosecutor Ayesha Smart told Leeds Crown Court this week.

He rolled off the bonnet and landed on the side of the road, but then had to swiftly move his legs out of the way to avoid being run over.

The incident, on October 17, 2020, was triggered when the Fiat-driving victim accused Sutton-Barrow of blocking his route. Sutton-Barrow had then turned around the pursue him. The man then stopped and got out to challenge Sutton-Barrow to a fight, so he drove directly towards him.

After coming off the bonnet, Sutton-Barrow drove off towards Otley Road. An ambulance was called for the man who suffered lacerations to his hands, shoulder and arms. He later said he felt he “came close to losing his life”.

Sutton-Barrow was later interviewed by police and gave a prepared statement, saying the man was trying to attack him and denied assaulting him. He later admitted a charge of actual bodily harm (ABH).

However, on December 17 last year, Sutton-Barrow was driving a Ford Mondeo when he was stopped by police. The car was known by police as related to drug-dealing.

They searched the vehicle but found nothing. However, they were suspicious of Sutton-Barrow’s behaviour and demeanour so took him to the police station to be strip searched.

He was found to have more than £1,000 worth of heroin and cocaine hidden in his underwear. He also had two mobile phones, but refused to provide the pin code.

The 31-year-old, of Leeds, admitted two counts of dealing in Class A drugs. He has 35 convictions for 47 offences, including conspiracy to supply Class A drugs for which he received a six-year sentence.

Mitigating, Rhianydd Clement said he was remorseful for his involvement in drugs, and apologised to his family. For the road rage incident, she said: “It was a case of road rage that went wrong. It was a split-second decision which he regrets, there was no planning to it.

"There was a degree of provocation, the complainant got out of his vehicle and encouraged him to get out and have a confrontation. The defendant realises it went too far.”

She said that he had since made the “most of his time” on remand, having completed courses in IT, first aid and health and safety. He was also taking part in a football-coaching course.

She added: “He wants to make a change to his life for his family.”

Judge Rodney Jameson KC jailed him for five years and four months, and banned him from driving for four years and two months.