X FACTOR star Matt Linnen was yesterday convicted of dangerous driving after throwing a coffee cup and peanuts in a road rage outburst.
Linnen, 30, who reached the show’s 2017 semi final, caused another motorist’s car to flip after losing his cool while driving along the A1.
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He was making his way home from a charity gig on 30 April 2018 when he and Dominic Eaton began driving aggressively at each other.
During the row, Linnen threw a coffee cup at Eaton’s car and then chucked a packet of peanuts out of his sun roof, a court heard.
Andrew Scott, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court that the incident started when Linnen was forced to brake sharply.
He claimed he had been cut up and responded by gesturing and shouting at Eaton – before throwing the objects at his car.
CAR FLIPS
Then the two cars then collided and left the road – with Eaton’s vehicle rolling over.
Eaton and a young child in his car escaped injury – as did Linnen.
Linnen, 30, of Westcliff on Sea, Essex, denied dangerous driving as a result of the incident on the A1 at Great Ponton, Lincs.
But he was convicted yesterday by a jury following a trial.
He was handed a six month jail sentence suspended for 12 months with 50 hours of unpaid work.
Linnen was also banned from driving for a year and ordered to pay £1,400 in court costs.
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It is only by the grace of God that nobody was hurt. The driving of both of you was appalling.
Recorder William Harbage QC
Eaton, 38, of Grantham, Lincs, admitted dangerous driving.
He was given an eight month jail suspended for two years with 100 hours of unpaid work.
He was also banned from driving for two years and ordered to pay £170 costs.
Recorder William Harbage QC told them: “It is only by the grace of God that nobody was hurt.
“The driving of both of you was appalling.”
He told Linnen: “You lost the plot as much as he did. You were throwing things from your car at his car.
“You didn’t start this but whatever provocation there may be I regard as slight.
“You reacted to Eaton’s driving and thereafter you fully participated in a road rage incident.”
‘MOMENT OF MADNESS’
Linnen, who described himself as a builder/musician, admitted throwing the coffee cup.
He told jurors: “I wanted to get out of the situation but being provoked I wasn’t thinking straight.
“I was worried what he was doing and just wanted to get away.”
Linnen added: “I was trying to get rid of him. I wasn’t trying to antagonise.
“He has come up shouting at me through his passenger window then he has lost control.
“He caused the collision when he lost control of his car.”
Linnen admitted it was “stupid” to throw the items out of his car but argued that his driving was careless rather than dangerous.
The jury was told he had never been in trouble before and had a clean driving licence after passing his test eight years earlier.
Natalie Bird, for Linnen, said: “He accepts it was a moment of madness. He does accept he lost his temper.”
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