A student who drove at a teenager and flung him from his car bonnet following a feud has avoided prison.

David Fisher, 18, was banned from driving for a year and ordered to carry out 12 months' community service.

Rufus Stilgoe, prosecuting at Oxford Crown Court yesterday (April 7), said Fisher, of Binning Close, Drayton, near Abingdon, drove at Douglas Thompson as he stood five metres away from his car.

As the car moved slowly towards him, Mr Thompson climbed on to its bonnet in a bid to stop it.

While he clung to its windscreen wipers, A-Level student Fisher started reversing and accelerating to fling Mr Thompson to the ground.

Mr Thompson suffered bruising to his leg but escaped further injury.

Mr Stilgoe said the incident, in St Michael's Way, Steventon, near Abingdon, on July 6 last year, followed an argument between Fisher, five friends, Mr Thompson and his brother Christopher.

Fisher admitted causing actual bodily harm. A charge of dangerous driving was dropped and he admitted driving without due care.

Nigel Daly, defending, said: "Mr Fisher has never been in trouble before.

"He had not expected anything like this to happen when he started out that day. He found himself with a car full of people shouting 'drive, drive, drive'.

"His part in this offence was the result of panic."

He described Fisher as well-educated, honest and studious.

Fisher had stopped driving because of the incident, the court heard.

Judge Julian Hall, said he would have sent Fisher to prison had there been evidence to convict him of dangerous driving.

He ordered him to pay £750 compensation.