MOTORISTS told a court a topless man hit their cars with rocks and a metal pipe as they travelled at speed along a road.

Passenger Simon Harris said he was texting his wife in the front seat of a Jaguar doing 70 mph in the westbound carriageway of the A64 near York when he felt a sudden pain in his chest and hands.

A metal pipe had just smashed through the windscreen and hit him. He now has a deformed finger.

Abigail Richards, who was driving a Corsa in the same direction, said a “boulder” four inches wide smashed her windscreen, flew between the two front seats and landed in the back seat.

“It just missed me,” she said. “There was glass everywhere and on me. Luckily I managed to keep control of the car.”

She had slowed to 50mph on seeing cars braking ahead of her and had thought the man was throwing eggs.

Acting sergeant Ben Hutchinson said a shirtless man threw a rock at him in the eastbound carriageway and hit his elbow at the start of a chase during which the man ran across the A64 three times and was finally caught inside the shopping mall of McArthur Glen Designer Outlet.

All three were giving evidence about events on the Outer Ring Road on May 3 this year at about 4pm next to the A64-A19 interchange.

Jack Lee Hirst, 21, of no fixed address, was charged with causing criminal damage to several cars with intent to endanger lives and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to the police officer.

He was not at York Crown Court on Wednesday, September 26, to hear the jury declare unanimously that he had committed both acts.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC then told the jury Hirst had been unfit to come into court and had been sent back to prison where he had been seen by several psychiatrists.

He adjourned the case for psychiatric reports.

A series of witnesses told the jury several cars travelling on the westbound carriageway pulled onto the hard shoulder after they were damaged in the incident.

Driver David Hardy said he was doing between 60 and 65mph when he saw rubble on the ground and the topless man in the carriageway.

He thought the man may be picking up something that had fallen from a vehicle, but then the man threw a rock at his windscreen, showering him with glass fragments.

Acting Sgt Hutchinson said he parked his car across the eastbound carriageway 50 metres from the topless man to protect him from approaching traffic.

As he walked towards him, the man said “come on” and threw the rock at him before running through slow moving traffic on the westbound carriageway, turning round and crossing both carriageways before disappearing into a field heading towards Fulford.

Police searched gardens in Fulford, before seeing the man heading back across the A64 towards McArthur Glen.

Acting Sgt Hutchinson said the man evaded police sent there to catch him and ran into the shopping mall.

Inside, the sergeant said he drew his taser as shoppers ran away from the man, who was arrested.