TWO young men have been told to expect jail sentences after they were convicted of a road rage attack on a fellow motorist.

William Arnold and Joseph Manning, both aged 20 and from Maidstone, were found guilty of common assault at Maidstone Crown Court. They were cleared of a further charge of affray.

During the trial David Richards, prosecuting, told the jury that the victim had been driving along the M20 at Brands Hatch on November 1 last year when he pulled out to overtake the car in front of him.

A vehicle came up at speed behind, Manning driving and Arnold in the passenger seat.

“It tailgaited him, which is quite frightening when you are doing 60-70mph on the motorway in the dark and wet,” said Mr Richards.

He said the victim pulled back into the middle lane when it was safe to do so but when Manning’s car went past there was shouting, clenched fists and insulting hand gestures from the defendants.

In his evidence, the victim said the driver cut across him, forcing him to slam on his brakes. He said he then managed to get plenty of traffic between himself and the car and thought he had lost it but as he neared junction four to leave the motorway he saw that the vehicle was behind him.

Shortly after he stopped at traffic lights he said Manning came running at him, swearing and with his fist raised.

“As he ran towards me my defensive reaction was to push him against my car before his punch hit me. At that point the passenger came and jumped on me as well. They were hitting me.”

He described how he was hit mainly in the head. He became aware of someone trying to pull his hands from his face.

The defendants then left the scene and the victim managed to drive home.

Manning told the court that he had been driving down Wrotham Hill on his way home from work with Arnold. He described how another vehicle had “cut him up” and he had needed to brake sharply.

He denied inviting the driver to pull onto the hard shoulder and said the victim had thrown a punch at him. Arnold denied hitting or kicking anyone.

Arnold lives at Quarry Square, Maidstone, and Manning at St Phillips Square, Maidstone. They pleaded not guilty. Sentence was adjourned to November 21.