A THUG who attacked his girlfriend then tried to injure her by crashing his car has been jailed.

Christopher Delacy was seen by witnesses grabbing 18-year-old Antonia Bradshaw-Milner by her head and pushing towards the dashboard as he drove in Old Shoreham Road in Portslade.

The 29-year-old then swerved across traffic along the main road and crashed into Victoria Park in an attempt to injure her.

At Brighton Crown Court he had claimed that Ms Bradshaw-Milner had pulled the steering wheel during a row.

He also claimed his vehicle had a "mechanical fault", but police tests showed this was not true.

The jury also saw through his claims, and found him guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after two hours of deliberation.

His Honour Andrew Goymer sentenced him to two years in prison and banned him from driving for three years.

The court was told that the couple were in the Vauxhall Corsa at 2.45pm on November 16, 2016 when the thug lost his temper.

Witnesses saw Delacy driving from traffic lights at Hangleton Link, swerving his car as he overtook a bus.

He had grabbed her by the head, then the car swerved until it hit the kerb and went through a concrete fence at the park.

The car plunged down the embankment and hit a tree.

Detective Constable Tracey Dixon said: “Due to an argument and his physical actions towards the victim in the car Delacy drove deliberately and dangerously that day.

“He swerved across the road in front of other vehicles and crashed the car.

“Not only did he injure both himself and his partner he was a risk to members of public in the area at that time who could have either been injured or killed by his actions.

“The judge said Delacy had lost his temper and it was fortunate no-one suffered life-threatening or life-changing injuries.”

Delacy, of Brighton Road in Lancing, had denied the offence, but was jailed.

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