An angry motorist deliberately swerved into a cyclist in the centre of Haverfordwest after shouting at her to “get off the f***king road.”

Joseph Butland, aged 74, swerved his 4x4 into Rebecca Davidson-Hall three times before managing to knock her off her bicycle.

Miss Davidson-Hall suffered a broken hand and bruising as she crashed to the ground and her £1,500 cycle was a write-off.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how Butland pulled his Hyundai Tucson alongside Miss Davidson-Hall as she cycled towards her grandmother’s house.

He said she was going at about 16mph along the A4076 Freemans Way in Haverfordwest. Although there was a track alongside the road that could be used by walkers and cyclists she was quite entitled to use the road.

Mr Jones said Miss Davidson-Hall, aged 30, signalled for Butland to overtake her, but instead he drew alongside and screamed, “Get off the f***king road. You should be on the cyclepath.”

He then swerved into her “as some kind of warning” but failed to make contact with her.

Butland swerved at her a second time, this time hitting her and making her wobble.

On the third occasion his car hit her arm and she “sensibly” fell to her left and not to her right and into the carriageway.

Butland, of Military Road, Pennar, drove off but was arrested later the same day.

He admitted shouting at her but not deliberately swerving into her. Later, he admitted a charge of dangerous driving.

Mr Jones said his driving had been so blatant that other motorists had had a clear view and reported him to the police.

Mr Jones said details of Miss Davidson-Hall's recovery from her injuries were unknown as she worked as a medical officer onboard trawlers operating off the coast of the United States and it has been impossible to contact her.

David Williams, the barrister representing Butland, said it was difficult to explain his behaviour except to say he had become angry at seeing Miss Davidson-Hall riding in the carriageway when he thought she should have been on the cycle path.

"There cannot be argument that she should not be compensated," he added.

The judge, Mr Recorder Jonathan Furness, said Butland's driving had been "inexplicable and inexcusable."

"You decided this lady should not have been on the road, although she had been riding quite lawfully.

"It is not for members of the public to get involved in the way that you did," he added.

Mr Recorder Furness said such offending attracted a prison sentence but he would bear in mind that he was aged 74 and had led a blameless life until now.

Butland was banned from driving for 18 months and ordered to pass an extended driving test before getting his licence back.

He was also ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work for the community and to pay a court charge of £900, a government surcharge of £60 and £400 in prosecution costs, plus the his own, unknown, defence costs.

Butland was also ordered to pay Miss Davidson-Hall £1,000 in compensation, but Mr Recorder Furness warned him that she would be awarded a higher sum if she took civil action against him.

Mr Recorder Furness ordered Butland to pay all the financial penalties within six weeks.

"It was a very foolish, and now very expensive, piece of driving," added the judge.