A MAN who killed a pedestrian in a road rage attack has been jailed for 14 years.
Jake McIntyre, 29, struck Andrew Peart with a tyre lever before punching him in the attack in Guide Post, Northumberland, on August 22 last year.
Mr Peart, 39, initially appeared fine after the assault but was admitted to hospital several hours later and was found to have sustained catastrophic brain injuries.
He passed away in hospital a week later.
At Newcastle Crown Court on Monday, McIntyre was sentenced to 14 years in prison, having previously been found guilty of manslaughter.
"This one incident has left one man's life tragically cut short and another man jailed for a significant amount of time," said Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr of Northumbria Police.
"This has left the families of both men having to pick up the pieces and for no reason other than this display of unnecessary and avoidable aggression."
Attack
An investigation revealed that before being admitted to hospital, Mr Peart had a verbal altercation with the driver of a silver Mitsubishi Shogun on The Square in Guide Post.
The driver of the vehicle, later identified as McIntyre, had been driving on The Square and had to slow down as Mr Peart crossed the road.
McIntyre drove away after the argument before returning, catching up to Mr Peart near Guide Post Working Men's Club.
He got out of the vehicle and struck Mr Peart with a metal tyre lever he had in his car, before punching him and leaving him on the ground as he left the scene.
Andrew Peart (Image: via Northumbria Police)Mr Peart, who worked as a senior design technician and was described as a devoted father, initially appeared fine.
However, his condition deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital in the early hours of August 23.
He was described as having catastrophic brain injuries and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he sadly died a week later.
McIntyre was arrested two days later, having fled to the Cumbria area.
Jake McIntyre (Image: Northumbria Police)He was initially charged with assault and later with murder after the discovery of a recording he had made on his mobile phone where he admitted his involvement in the incident.
A video, made on August 23, showed McIntyre complaining about having to hide from the police and change his car as a result of 'giving some little crack head street justice'.
In May, following a two-and-a-half-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court, McIntyre, of Stakeford Crescent, Ashington, was found guilty of manslaughter.
'life-altering consequences'
"The sentencing today is a sobering reminder of the consequences of unnecessary violence," said DCI Barr.
"McIntyre drove away from the scene, and had time to calm down, but made the decision to return — a decision which had life-altering consequences for the two men involved.
"His actions have caused so much pain and I hope McIntyre's sentencing today can help offer some form of closure to the family and to the wider tight-knit community of Guide Post."
