A mechanic whose Mazda mounted the kerb as he lost control of his powerful car was accused of driving like a ‘bat out of hell’.

Toby Stewart, 26, was found guilty earlier this month of dangerous driving.

Jurors at Oxford Crown Court heard that people had been forced to scatter as his Mazda RX-8 veered towards them on Bell Street, Henley, in the early hours of March 7, 2020.

After regaining control of the car, Stewart roared off down the road – reaching an estimated top speed of 49mph.

What the jury was not told was that the defendant and his friends had been involved in a disagreement with another group of men at Henley bar Magoos earlier that evening.

The Mazda driver and his friends came off worse in the spat.

READ MORE: Jury convicts Henley night spot dangerous driver 

Sentencing him on Friday (March 24), Recorder John Bate-Williams concluded that the poor driving was either the consequence of ‘showing off’ the decibel level of his Mazda's powerful engine or a ‘misguided attempt to flee’ from the earlier altercation.

He said: “There was no need to drive like a bat out of hell in a built-up area on a Friday night when there were pedestrians in the area, some of whom might have been in a state of inebriation or drunkenness.”

Recorder Bate-Williams added: “A car is a potentially lethal weapon. You lost control of that Mazda.”

In an aside, the judge mused that with a number of motoring convictions already under his belt, he had concerns about what Stewart’s insurance premiums would cost in the future.

He imposed 10 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for a year and a half.

Stewart, of Woodcote, must complete the thinking skills programme, 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £2,800 in costs.

The driver was banned from the roads for a year and must pass an extended retest before he can regain his licence.

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