A PENSIONER who mowed down a teenage cyclist in a road rage attack has been jailed for six months.

At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court Judge John Edwards told 69-year-old Michael Hanley: "Your behaviour was boorish, highly aggressive, utterly unacceptable and dangerous.

"You let yourself down, you let down those who look up to you and those for whom you care."

Hanley, of Kimble Close, Greenmount, had denied dangerous driving and assaulting 17-year-old Morgan Berry in an incident in Summerseat on October 15 last year, but was found guilty following a trial at Manchester Magistrates' Court in July. The offence was so serious that it was sent to the Crown Court for sentencing.

Judge Edwards was told how Hanley had used his 4x4 Jeep Cherokee to knock Morgan, who is now aged 18, from his bicycle and then got out of his car and punched the teenager in the face.

The court heard how Morgan, whose £2,500 mountain bike was badly damaged after Hanley's vehicle hit him, was in front of the Jeep at temporary traffic lights on Railway Street, Summerseat.

Elizabeth Evans, prosecuting, told the court that Morgan had peddled hard to try and get out of Hanley's way, gesturing with his hand to the Jeep driver that it was not safe to overtake.

A furious Hanley then aggressively 'bumper hugged' the bicycle, repeatedly beeping his horn and flashing lights and the pensioner was then said to have deliberately driven at the cyclist, clipping his shin.

It caused Morgan to tumble from his bicycle, leaving him with cuts and bruises.

A witness saw furious Hanley, who claimed the teenager had damaged his wing mirror, stop and get out of his car.

He was said to have yelled at Morgan: "Come here and have a look at what did to my wing mirror. You did this you little s***. You're quite the little bastard."

Hanley then punched the teenager in the face before getting back in his car and driving away.

He handed himself into police the next day after his picture was circulated on social media.

At the sentencing hearing Stephanie Varle, defending, said the offences had been out of character and Hanley's behaviour had been caused by a "diabetic low".

Sat in the dock, Hanley wiped his eyes as Miss Varle described how he has been driving for 50 years and only ever previously had three ponts on his licence.

He added that the pensioner, who is director of an estates management company, is well thought of in the community, does charity work and is sole carer for his wife, who suffers from mental health problems.

She added that publicity about the trial has had a massive impact on him and he has suffered "character assassination" and "malicious communications".

"What was perhaps less than a minute of madness has caused untold misery in respect of his life," said Miss Varle.

But Judge Edwards told Hanley: "The fact that you have drawn a lot of attention to yourself, I'm afraid, is courtesy of your own selfish, arrogant stupidity.

"You didn't just follow him and tailgate him, you assaulted him and deliberately drove over his bike."

Miss Varle appealed to the judge not to jail Hanley but he told the defendant that the crimes were so serious that he must go to prison.

"Incidents such as this are too serious to be marked in any other way," said Judge Edwards.

He told Hanley: "Cyclists are entitled to share the road with drivers

"Sometimes they are rightly criticised for the manner in which they control their bikes. Not one iota of criticism can be made of Morgan Berry in that regard.

"Whatever got you into that state at lunchtime last October is beyond me. You had a complete rush of blood to the head.

"In my judgement your behaviour at the scene gives the lie to your assertion that you were merely trying to exchange details.

"You are a mature man of 69, touching 70. You are old enough to know better and behave with a bit more sense of proportion.

"In the wrong hands a car is a weapon and that is precisely what it was in your hands."

In addition to the prison sentence, the grandfather was banned from driving for 15 months after which he will have to take an extended retest.

Hanley looked up to the public gallery, where members of his family sat weeping, as he was led away to begin his sentence.

Morgan's father, Duncan Berry, was in court for the hearing.

Speaking afterwards he said: "It is a just sentence. It is a privilege to hold a driving licence and not a right and I echo everything the judge said.

"He could have killed Morgan. It could have had far wider repercussions for Morgan than it has had.

"I hope it sends a message out to the wider driving public that they need to share the road."