A MAN has been jailed for more than a year after for driving into five cyclists at the end of a race.

Keith Ancona, 35, was driving along Batts Road, Steeple, on October 2, when he was told to wait as a cycle race was due to finish.

Ancona, who had his partner and two daughters in his Audi A5 at the time, drove past a road block before he was stopped by a race marshal.

He got into a verbal exchange with the marshal after he was told he could not go any further.

This drew the attention of a number of the finished riders, who came over to see what was happening.

The winner of the race stood in front of Ancona’s car, telling him he could not carry on and the rider banged on the bonnet of the car.

Richard Partridge, prosecuting, told the court what followed.

He said: “The driver got back into his car and drove through a group of five cyclists. They were thrown into the air and onto the bonnet of the car, causing property damage in the region of £10,000. The defendant then drove off at high speed past the cyclists.”

Ancona, of Waterside Road, Bradwell, appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday after admitting dangerous driving and causing actual bodily harm on May 10.

Ciara McElvogue, mitigating, said: “It is with great regret that he finds himself back in front of the court after such a long period of no offending. He has turned his life around and has a young family.

“He handed himself in and gave guilty pleas at the earliest possible opportunity. He is extremely remorseful for his ill-considered actions and can only apologise to the victims in the case and to the court.”

Sentencing, Judge David Turner said: “I’m not sure what you were thinking. You were in a powerful car with your partner and two children heading to a birthday party.

“You completely lost control. What happened was chilling behaviour. You tore off, knocking down cyclists and damaging a number of bikes.

“There can be no doubt in this case that as you drove off at some speed with no care to marshals or the public, including your young family, you were driving dangerously.”

Judge Turner sentenced Ancona to six months in prison for dangerous driving, and an additional eight months for causing actual bodily harm. He was also disqualified from driving for 22 months.