John Britton

John Britton, a 44-year-old man from Clacton, was involved in a violent road rage incident on a diversion route along the A12 through Elmstead Market in Essex. The offence occurred in May 2023, when Britton became enraged by the cautious driving of another motorist, Martin Palmer, who had taken a wrong turn in the village.

According to court proceedings at Ipswich Crown Court, Britton began tailgating Palmer's vehicle, flashing his lights aggressively and overtaking before braking suddenly in front of him. Palmer pulled into a layby for a break and, upon exiting his car, politely asked Britton, 'Can I help?' Britton responded by retrieving a baseball bat from his vehicle and threatening Palmer. Palmer challenged him, saying, 'Put the bat down and we’ll have a proper fight.' Instead of engaging, Britton returned to his car and deliberately drove it towards Palmer, who had to leap into nearby bushes to avoid being struck. Palmer later recounted that his first thought was that he 'wouldn’t see his children again,' highlighting the terror of the moment.

Britton, who has a prior conviction for rape and is a registered sex offender, denied charges of dangerous driving and threatening another with an offensive weapon. He failed to attend his trial, leading to a conviction in absentia by magistrates. He later admitted to failing to surrender to custody. The court heard mitigating factors from Adam Budworth, who noted Britton's stress from caring for his elderly parents and a recent breakup while working as an HGV driver.

Recorder Mr Jeremy Benson KC sentenced Britton to two years and two weeks' imprisonment for the road rage offences. An additional two weeks were added because the offending fell within the period of a suspended sentence related to his failure to notify police of his whereabouts as a registered sex offender. The incident was prosecuted by Mark Halsey, who detailed the sequence of events based on Palmer's account and evidence presented in court. This case underscores Britton's history of violent behaviour, including previous convictions for actual bodily harm and racial harassment.