Car driver Luis Manuel Rodrigues Calaca (48), of Val Plaisant, got a ‘tyre iron’ out of the boot of his Audi and walked towards the rider to scare him.
The pair had both pulled over to the side of St Saviour’s Road to confront each other about their behaviour.
As a result, Calaca was sentenced to 70 hours of community service after pleading guilty to acting in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace.
Outlining the case in the Magistrate’s Court, police legal adviser Advocate Darry Robinson said the incident began when the complainant was cycling home toward Wellington Hill after he finished work at about 5.30 pm on 14 February.
He said that Calaca’s Audi came up behind the cyclist and the car driver was hooting his horn.
The prosecutor said that Calaca was working as a pizza delivery driver for Domino’s and was in a hurry. However, Advocate Robinson said that Calaca alleged the cyclist was riding badly and was deliberately trying to goad him.
They both pulled over to the left side of the pavement and walked towards each other. ‘They faced each other and the complainant pushed Calaca to the chest, causing him to go back one and half steps,’ said the prosecutor.
The court heard that the defendant then went to the boot of his car and picked up the tyre iron. ‘Holding the tyre iron in his right hand, he lifted it and he walked toward the complainant,’ said Advocate Robinson, who added that the cyclist responded by getting on his bike and riding away.
Advocate Robinson said that it was the defendant’s intention to scare the cyclist and Calaca told police that he would not have used the weapon.
Advocate Jane Grace, defending, said that this was an instance of ‘road rage that got out of hand’.
She said that after the push her client thought he would need to defend himself and just wanted to scare the cyclist. ‘He admits his actions were not proportionate to the incident itself but had no intention to use the tyre iron,’ she said.
She said that Calaca had no previous convictions and the matter was out of character. The court heard that as a result of the incident, he was fired from his job and has been unable to find alternative employment since.
In sentencing, Magistrate Bridget Shaw said: ‘You chose to arm yourself with a weapon. You should not have behaved in that way. The cyclist was frightened and concerned by your behaviour.’
