TWO cyclists were struck with a baseball bat by an angry driver in a serious incident of road rage in central Bradford.

Amani Rahman attacked brothers Daniel and Michael Stocchero after accidentally almost knocking one of them off his bike on Manningham Lane.

Rahman, 20, of New Fields Drive, Bradford, was today spared an immediate custodial sentence for the offences on Saturday, August 22, 2020.

Bradford Crown Court heard that the brothers and three friends rode from Huddersfield to Grassington where they spent the day

At about 7pm, they were cycling in convoy towards Bradford city centre on their way home. They were riding in the designated cycle lane when Rahman passed them in his blue VW Golf.

“You were clearly in a hurry and drove past them aggressively, entering the cycle lane briefly as you undertook a vehicle in front of you that was waiting to turn right at a mini roundabout,” the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC said.

“Whilst I am sure it was unintentional, you clipped Daniel Stocchero’s bicycle and nearly knocked him off it.”

 He was understandably annoyed, cycled after Rahman and shouted at him through the passenger side window. Rahman threatened to kill him instead of apologising.

The group cycled off but were stopped at the traffic lights at the junction with Westgate which allowed Rahman to catch up with them.

He jumped out of his car armed with a baseball bat and struck Daniel Stocchero several times causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

Michael Stocchero intervened and he hit him with the bat several times as well. Despite taking several blows, he managed to disarm Rahman and throw the bat on to a roof to prevent him using it again.

Daniel Stocchero got back to his feet, went to the Golf and took the keys out of the ignition. He handed them to a member of the public but they returned them and Rahman drove off.

Daniel Stocchero was left feeling mildly concussed. He had swelling and stiffness to his left wrist from where he fended off a blow and to his left shoulder and back. Michael Stocchero had linear bruises to his lower back, his hip, and the back of his ear.

 “This is a serious incident of road rage made worse by the fact you took this baseball bat from the car so quickly and used it as a weapon of offence to strike two unarmed men who had done nothing wrong,” Judge Mansell stated.

But Rahman was of good character at the time and had kept out of trouble since.

He was 19 when he committed the offences and was now working as an NHS administrator.

He had pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and to having the bat as an offensive weapon.

He was sentenced to ten months detention in a young offender institution, suspended for 18 months, with 200 hours unpaid work, and ordered to pay £400 compensation to each of the brothers.

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