A maintenance engineer forced a car to stop by pulling his van in front of it and then attacked the driver, Wirral magistrates heard.

Stephen McPeake, prosecuting, said 31-year-old Mark Robert Copeland was extremely aggressive. He hammered on the car windscreen, punched on the side window, which shattered with glass, showering the head and face of Thomas Welch.

Copeland then reached in through the window and banged Welch's head onto the driving wheel before commenting: "Stay away from my bird or you will get it again."

Copeland, of Manor Road Wallasey, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Welch, who suffered cuts and swelling and glass in both eyes.

Mr McPeake said there had been bad feeling after Copeland became engaged to a girl who had earlier become engaged to the half brother of Welch.

Copeland was fined £200 plus £95 costs. He had to pay £200 compensation to the complainant plus £179.93 for car damage.

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