Stephen Sinclair is on trial at Maidstone Crown Court

by Keith Hunt

A minor incident on a petrol station forecourt erupted into violence that left a driver with a key embedded in his skull, a court heard.

Stephen Sinclair admitted he attacked Thomas Morgan after he "saw red" and "lost it".

Mr Morgan was taken to Maidstone Hospital with the car key in his temple above his right eye and was then transferred to London's King's College Hospital for treatment.

"The key penetrated the skull but thankfully did not cause brain damage," said Anthony Prosser, prosecuting.

Sinclair, of Wood Cottage Lane, Folkestone, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, but denied a more serious offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the two men were at a service station on the M20 near Maidstone on March 4 last year.

Sinclair, 48, was on his way to London and had pulled in to get petrol, while Mr Morgan stopped on his way from Blackheath to Folkestone to use the toilet.

Mr Morgan was about to drive across the fuel forecourt in his Ford Mondeo when Sinclair almost reversed into him, the court heard.

"the crown say if you force a metal object into somebody's face you are clearly intending to cause serious injury…” – anthony prosser, prosecuting

Words were exchanged in a minor altercation and Sinclair then got out of his car and went over to Mr Morgan.

A jury was shown CCTV film of Sinclair leaning into the victim's open window and punching him.

Mr Morgan went into the shop and asked staff to call an ambulance. Sinclair followed.

Sinclair admitted: "Yeah, it was me. I know I should not have done it but I just lost it. I saw red."

He told police Mr Morgan had "started mouthing off". He was tired and blinking, he said, and Mr Morgan told him: "You want to get your twitch sorted out."

Sinclair said of the assault: "I thought: 'Crikey, what have I done?"

Mr Prosser said Sinclair admitted he caused the injury, but claimed he only realised the key was in his hand after he threw the punch.

"The Crown do not accept he did not intend to cause serious injury," said Mr Prosser. "The Crown say if you force a metal object into somebody's face you are clearly intending to cause serious injury."

The trial continues.