Two young men repeatedly rammed a car with their vehicle during a terrifying incident in Hoylake, a court has heard.

After finally forcing the car to stop the passenger in the pursuing vehicle, Shane Dooley, got out and began attacking it and shouting and swearing.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday that the 18-year-old has two convictions for similar behaviour less than three months before the incident.

Michael Stephenson, prosecuting, said that on August 6 last year, Anna Lavin was driving a Vauxhall Corsa with her passenger Ben Brewer.

They saw a Mazda driven by Max Dufley with passenger Dooley, who they suspected of vandalising a car some weeks before.

When Dufley and Dooley saw them then began following them and caught up with them on Birkenhead Road, Hoylake.

They rammed the Corsa and then pulled it front of it to get it to stop but Miss Lavin managed to turn right but the Mazda followed them “and there were further incidents of ramming their vehicle from behind before overtaking her once again.”

The vehicles came to a halt in Hoyle Road and Miss Lavin tried to reverse to get away but collided with the front of the car behind and was boxed in.

Dooley got out of the car and began kicking the passenger side of the Corsa shouting and screaming.

“He jumped on the bonnet and continue to shout threats at the passenger. Miss Lavin said at one point he made a threat to burn his house and was calling him ‘a grass and a coward’.”

The driver of the car behind got out and tried to calm down Dooley but he began kicking at the passenger window and making threats.

Dufley stayed in the vehicle during the incident and finally Dooley got back in and they drove off, said Mr Stephenson.

27-year-old Dufley was arrested on August 26 and Dooley was apprehended on October 11 during which he jumped out of a window and needed hospital treatment.

When Dufley was interviewed said it had been a single incident and “it was to do with a debt.”

Miss Lavin, who said £3,000 worth of damage had been caused to her car, suffered from whiplash and needed physiotherapy.

Dooley, of Smith Road, Birkenhead, who pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour, was sentenced to two months' detention suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work to run consecutively to 120 hours he already has to carry out for an earlier similar offence.

He was also ordered to pay £600 compensation and £100 towards prosecution costs.

Dufley, of Eaton Road, West Kirby, who pleaded guilty to driving dangerously and without insurance, was ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work.

A 12-month community order was imposed with 20 days' rehabilitation and he was banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to pay £100 towards prosecution costs.

The court heard Dooley had been using cannabis at the time but has now given it up and has a job as an apprentice builder.