A SOLDIER has been cleared of running over a father who went into a country lane at Brandis Corner to complain about the noise of his car.

Daniel Bennett said Jonathan Parkhouse was being aggressive and threatening and he thought he was going to drag him out of his car and give him a beating.

He told Exeter Crown Court last Thursday he felt he had no option but to reverse away, even though a front wheel of his car ran over Mr Parkhouse's chest as he left.

Bennett is a serving soldier based at Aldershot who had just split up with his girlfriend on the night of the incident last summer.

Bennett, aged 24, from Warrington, Cheshire, but based at St Omer Barracks in Aldershot, denied causing actual bodily harm and was found not guilty.

Mr Parkhouse has told the jury he went out to investigate the car because it was upsetting his teenaged son, who suffers from cerebral palsy and reacts badly to sudden loud noises.

He said he opened the door unaggressively to speak to the driver but was then hit by the door as he reversed at speed.

He spent three days in hospital after being dragged to the ground and run over by the car as it reversed away and sped off, leaving him prone on the ground.

Bennett told the jury he had been visiting his girlfriend in North Devon, but they had split up after she found items on his phone which upset her.

He drove for about ten minutes before going down the lane, which he did not realise was a private road. He said he stopped in what he thought he was a layby and skidded to a halt on the gravel.

He said: 'I was texting my girlfriend to try to sort out the argument when I saw Mr Parkhouse and his son running towards my car.

'He was about 30 to 40 feet away and running bare chested and aggressively towards the car.

'I am only 5'5' tall and from inside the car I could hear him say 'who the f*** does he think he is?' My driver's door was closed but he was at it in seconds.

'He opened my door. He did not tap on the window. He opened the door fully and reached in to grab my t-shirt. He tried to drag me out of the car.

'He did not ask anything about whether I was unwell or inquire about my wellbeing and I honestly thought I was being hi-jacked. I was in fear for my life.

'I thought he was going to grab me out of the car and give me a beating. I put the car in reverse, put the hand brake down, put the wheel to full left and started reversing.

'I knocked him down as a result but I did not intend to do so. My intention was to get out as soon as possible. I reversed the rear end of the car into a hedge.

 'I drove towards the main road and saw him in the mirror lying on the floor holding his head. When I got away my wheels were spinning. I thought I had run him over.

'I did not want to hurt him and I am deeply sorry for the injury I caused.'