A CARPENTER has been found guilty of dangerous driving during an incident in which another driver was hurt.

Irfan Ali had followed company director Dennis Rose's car, flashing his headlights because its rear foglights were on.

Ali, 24, of Farnham Close, Broadfield, Crawley, overtook the Jaguar and stopped during the late-night incident on March 19 last year.

Mr Rose told Hove Crown Court he was concerned he was being followed in Gossops Drive, Crawley, and wanted to find out what was going on.

It was alleged that Ali deliberately drove at Mr Rose, throwing him over the bonnet. Mr Rose, who runs a coach company, seriously injured an ankle.

He told the court he had noticed Ali's Rover behind him in Isfield Drive flashing its lights and travelling close to his bumper.

He said he stopped in Gossops Drive to find out what was going on.

Mr Rose said Ali opened his door and asked him what his problem was before swearing at him and driving off in reverse.

He said he was trapped by the open door of Ali's car and forced to grab it to stop himself being dragged under its wheels.

Mr Rose said: "I managed to roll myself along and sort of free myself and by this time I was standing in the middle of the road.

"A split second later he accelerated forward and was driving straight at me.

"He hit me and I went up over the bonnet and my feet left the ground. I thought I was going to die."

Ali had denied causing grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving.

He said Mr Rose racially abused him and tried to drag him out of his car.

He told the jury Mr Rose had tried to rip the driver's door off as he attempted to reverse away.

Ali said: "He jumped up and put his knee on the bonnet and I swung the car to the right, hoping he would fall off."

The jury convicted him of dangerous driving but was unable to reach a verdict on the charge of causing grievous bodily harm.

Judge David Rennie adjourned sentence until May 27 and gave the prosecution until then to decide whether to hold a retrial on the grievous bodily harm charge.