A TEENAGE girl was thrown into the air and hit a tree when a raging father drove at her, a court heard.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Aaron Routledge arrived at Elmden Court, Clacton, with his mother and a group of friends to confront Brett Hart junior over the alleged bullying of his younger brother.

The group arrived in a Vauxhall seven-seater car at about 9pm on August 25 last year.

The young men got out and confronted Brett Hart junior outside the front of his home.

The court heard Brett Hart senior joined in the row, pushing into one of the group as the row became heated.

Philip Misner, prosecuting, detailed how both father and son were seen on CCTV to be wielding metal baseball bats.

Brett Hart senior’s partner Rebecca Grant twice called the police from the scene, claiming there was a fight involving 20 people erupting in the street.

The court heard during the confrontation, 17-year-old Lucia D’or moved towards the group and attempted to “calm” her friends and “herd them away”.

The prosecution allege Brett Hart senior got into a Volkswagen Golf, before driving deliberately at the group of youngsters.

Mr Misner said: “Whatever you make of their behaviour, the Crown say you can be sure that nothing they did justified the way that Brett Hart was to behave.

“Because the crux of the Crown’s case is he got into the Golf and, having done so, drove it deliberately at those young people effectively in an attempt to mow them down.

“Having hit Lucia D’or, he then drove backwards and forwards over her body, the Crown say, trying to kill her and hurt the others really seriously.”

Hart, 35, of Elmden Court, Clacton, denies attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and five counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Grant, 38, of Mendlesham Close, Clacton, denies perverting the course of justice by initially claiming she had been the driver.

The Crown’s case rests on CCTV captured from a neighbouring home, which shows the confrontation between Hart, his son and the group of youngsters, before showing the sudden movements of the Golf. It also relies on the evidence of a neighbour of Hart who was at the scene.

The court heard the neighbour, Michael Hawkins, saw the Golf hit Miss D’or “face on”, hitting her knees at a point on the car close to the number plate.

Mr Misner said: “He saw Brett Hart reverse the Golf at speed at around, he thought, 20 to 25mph. He saw that hit Miss D’or in the air, causing her to hit a tree. He hit her hard enough she’s raised off the ground and hit the tree.

“Mr Hawkins then saw Mr Hart manoeuvring quickly until the car was facing Miss D’or, about 20ft away from her.

“He says the group who were with her were banging on the car window shouting ‘stop the car, turn off the ignition’.

“Mr Hawkins then heard the Golf being revved hard again.

“Suddenly, it flew off like a bullet, he thought at around about 30mph, hitting the kerb, lifting off the ground and then went over Lucia D’or.

“Imagine seeing that. He was shocked and he described himself to officers as feeling sick at what he saw.

“The impact of the car had flipped her body over 180 degrees.

“Her legs were bent in different directions. He saw Brett Hart drive at Lucia D’or on three occasions.”

The trial continues.

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