A FATHER-OF-THREE has been jailed for 20 months for driving his car at a club-goer and hurling him over the bonnet.

Gareth Lightowler somersaulted into the air and landed on his head when Jamie McGrane ran his VW Golf into him on a car park in Bradford city centre.

Dramatic CCTV of the incident, at 6.15am on February 1, was shown at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

McGrane, 28, who runs a landscape gardening business, pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, dangerous driving round the city centre and failing to stop after an accident.

Prosecutor Emma Downing said Mr Lightowler, 31, had spent the night in bars and clubs, ending up in the Love Apple on Great Horton Road.

He and McGrane got into an argument after others were involved in pushing and shoving on a nearby car park.

Mr Lightowler kicked McGrane's car and pulled at the wing mirror.

McGrane, of Rowan Tree Drive, Thorpe Edge, Bradford, drove off at speed with two passengers, circled the car park with wheels spinning and struck Mr Lightowler.

"The force of the collision caused him to somersault in the air and land on his head," Miss Downing said.

McGrane then drove round the city centre with no lights and a smashed windscreen, speeding and cutting corners.

Mr Lightowler was knocked unconscious and taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary by ambulance.

He suffered a cut head, a bleed on the brain, a complex facial fracture and multiple cuts and bruises to his body.

McGrane handed himself into the police later that day, telling them it was an accident.

He had previous convictions for aggravated vehicle taking, careless driving and failing to stop after an accident.

His solicitor advocate, Ray Singh, said McGrane did not deliberately drive at Mr Lightowler.

He missed the exit to the car park and circled at speed without much thought to what was around him.

He then panicked and drove off at speed for a short time.

Mr Lightowler, who did not provide a victim impact statement, had made a full recovery.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC banned McGrane from driving for 30 months.

He said the collision was traumatic both for Mr Lightowler and those who had watched it.

"He was literally flung into the air, somersaulting over your car and smashing the windscreen, landing on his head in the car park and lying still and bleeding," the judge said.

It was an aggressive and deplorable piece of driving that could have killed Mr Lightowler.