An elderly company director was facing jail today after he was convicted of mowing down and beating up a teenage cyclist before trashing his new bicycle during a road rage row.

Michael Hanley, 69, used his 4x4 Cherokee Jeep to deliberately knock the 17-year old victim off his £2,500 mountain bike after the youngster pulled in front of him as he waited at a set of traffic lights.

During the incident Hanley was seen aggressively ''bumper hugging'' the back tyre of the bicycle after the lights turned green and he repeatedly beeped his horn at him and flashing his lights.

The teenager was eventually sent tumbling to the floor when he tried to veer off down a dirt track only for the Jeep to clip his shin as it tried to get passed.

As he lay on the floor, Hanley got out of his 4x4 vehicle on the dirt track and told the shaken boy: ''Little sh*t - you’ve done this'' adding: ''Did you see what he was doing? He was weaving all over the road” to a shocked motorist who pulled over.

He then grabbed the teenager's shirt and punched him in the face before smashing his own wing mirror in a temper tantrum and roaring off in his vehicle.

The lad - whose six-month-old bike was written off in the incident - was given a lift home by the other motorist and was treated for bruising to his left shin and left cheek plus a swollen right kneecap.

At Manchester Magistrates' Court, Hanley, of Greenmount, Bury - a director of an estates management company - was found guilty of dangerous driving and common assault following a trial.

(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

The incident occurred at 1.45pm on October 15 last year after father-of-two Hanley was waiting at a set of temporary traffic lights near roadworks in Summerseat, Bury, whilst on his way to a B&Q store.

Trouble began when the boy passed the row of stationary traffic behind Hanley and then pulled in front of the Jeep just before the lights were about to turn green.

Giving evidence by video link, the boy said: ''We went on a narrow road which only allowed for one vehicle at a time but there was a car getting closer to me - a foot or maybe closer than a foot from the back of my bike.

''I felt immediate danger and I gestured to him to back off but he just kept driving closer and closer flashing his lights and beeping his horn. I was cycling at about 15 or 20 miles per hour and the 4x4 was practically touching my back wheel and he didn’t back off at all.

''I cycled as fast as I could and tried to get out of the way. Mr Hanley tried to overtake but was unsuccessful and was within a few inches of touching me or my bike and the vehicle made contact with me on one overtaking attempt. The road was very narrow and his wing mirror made contact with my arm as I gestured to back off - that didn’t make him back off either.

''If anything it provoked him and made him more aggressive. I thought I needed to get away from him and I turned onto a single track but as I turned onto the lane I felt an almighty whack on my left shin and I realised the defendant’s car had made contact with me.

''I was knocked off my bike and I landed on the road but the defendant stopped his vehicle and came towards me shouting and swearing 'Little sh*t you’ve done this, you’ve done that'. I thought 'You’ve just hit me'.

''Mr Hanley went round to his left hand wing mirror and then ripped it off himself. I was on the floor but got up whilst he was shouting at me and was being very aggressive. He grabbed hold of my shirt and tried to drag me towards his car. I got free of him and ran towards my bike but he grabbed my shirt and turned me round and punched me. Then he got in his car and drove off.

''The bike is irreparable. I went round several bike shops and they said it’s worth practically nothing now. The incident has affected me quite badly and I wasn’t fully myself for weeks following it. I lost my confidence and from now on I’ll feel more cautious on the roads if I get another bike.''

Eyewitness Georgina Cullen who was driving behind Hanley said: ''It became apparent the driver wasn’t very impressed with the cyclist and was driving extremely close and beeping aggressively. I was quite shocked at what I was seeing. He was very close - too close to be considered safe. He was badgering the cyclist who pedalling as fast as he could and I saw the cyclists face and he looked distressed.

''He raised his arm twice to say 'back off' but this had no impact on the defendant and he clipped him. The cyclist was clearly trying to get away from the situation but the vehicle accelerated after him and the impression I got was the car was chasing after the cyclist, drove at him and hit him. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. I was extremely concerned for the well-being of the cyclist.

''I pulled into the side of the road and the driver of the car got out saying: 'Did you see what he was doing? Weaving all over the road'. I said 'He wasn’t weaving, he was trying to tell you to have more patience'.

''I think I actually said 'That’s someone’s son. He wasn’t weaving he was trying to tell you that there was no room'.”

The defendant then got hold of the cyclist’s arm and punched him in the face. He then very aggressively walked round to passenger side of his car and ripped at the wing mirror.

''He then did a three-point turn and proceeded to drive away. The cyclist was very very shaken and was physically shaking quite a lot. His bike was badly damaged after the Jeep drove over it. I was just in disbelief that someone could use a vehicle in such a manner and purposefully hit another human being.''

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Hanley who attended a police station after the incident denied wrongdoing claiming his car's braking mechanism would have prevented him getting to close to the bike.

He said: ''The cyclist was cycling like someone not right in the head and he seemed to be trying to beat me to the junction. I wasn’t very close to him and when I went to overtake him he weaved into the road. I blew my horn at him and he turned round and swore.

''I’ve been driving for 50 years and I’ve never had anything like this. His antics were causing the problems. He was going to cause an accident. You could get a bus past him when I tried to overtake but as I tried again he swerved out and punched my wing mirror.

''He must have gone into a pothole and came off his bike. I couldn’t use my vehicle as a weapon because the braking mechanism would stop it. All I was doing was trying to stop him and get the police involved because of the damage he’s done to my wing mirror. I’ve driven for 50 years without an accident.

''I’ve overtaken thousands of cyclists in my time and never seen anything like it. I have no problem with cyclists - there should be more cyclists on the road. I used to be a cyclist. But if we all stayed behind cyclists and never overtook the whole world would come to a standstill.''

Hanley will be sentenced later this month. He was granted bail.