DRINKERS outside a pub near Redditch scattered as a man backed his pick up truck at speed into a car and shunted it towards them, a court heard.

Mark Taroni was jailed for a total of 21 months after he admitted dangerous driving and a judge at Worcester Crown Court said the incident could have put lives at risk.

The 39-year-old had been drinking at the Packhorse pub in Hollywood on the afternoon of July 3 last year when he got into an argument, the court was told.

He went to get into his loaded pick-up truck in the car park when a woman he knew, Natalie Guest, tried to take his keys because she could see he was too drunk to drive, Rupert Jones, prosecuting, told the court.

Others joined in and an unknown man knocked Taroni to the floor.

He got up and got into his truck, drove it across the car park and then stopped before aiming backwards at Miss Guest's Vauxhall car which was parked sideways across the outdoor bench area.

"He put his truck into reverse and pressed on the accelerator and reversed at some speed," Mr Jones said.

"He shunted the car into an area where people were standing."

Miss Guest and another woman fell to the floor and suffered minor injuries.

Taroni drove off but had not gone more than a mile when he lost control and his truck ended up in a hedgerow, Mr Jones said.

Nearby residents saw him staggering around and when police arrived he said he had been escaping from someone with a gun.

He refused to give a specimen for a drink-driving test.

Taroni, of Warwards Lane in Stirchley, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, careless driving and failing to provide a specimen.

Ben Close, defending, said Taroni had had mental health issues at the time but was now taking medication to tackle them.

He said Taroni had got angry and driven at the other vehicle but had not intended to put anyone in danger.

Judge Robert Juckes, QC, said Taroni was very drunk and had deliberately used his vehicle as a weapon.

"It could have been disastrous," he said to Taroni.

"You could have caused really serious injuries. People could have lost limbs. People could have lost lives. That was the risk you took."

Taroni was jailed for 18 months for dangerous driving plus three months for failing to provide a specimen with no separate penalty for the careless driving resulting from crashing into the hedgerow, a total of 21 months.

He was also banned from driving for two years with an extension so that the ban starts when he is released on licence.

He will also have to take an extended re-test.