A Carlisle man has appeared in court accused of deliberately trying to seriously hurt his wife by continuously ramming her vehicle as she drove it in the city.
Lee Hartley, 51, was charged following a daytime incident which is said to have occurred at around 3pm on Friday afternoon.
Hartley appeared in front of magistrates at Carlisle’s Rickergate court today. He faces a number of charges.
One alleges that he attempted to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm to his wife, with intent to do so.
A second charge alleges the dangerous driving of a Range Rover Sport, on both Victoria Road and Warwick Road.
During a short court hearing, it was indicated that Hartley would be pleading not guilty to both of these charges. “His case is that he denies being the driver of the (Range Rover) vehicle,” said defence lawyer, Sean Harkin.
Prosecutor George Shelley had also addressed magistrates, and alleged that Hartley was behind the wheel of the Range Rover which, he said, was reported to have been “continuously ramming into” the rear of a vehicle containing his wife and two primary school aged children.
After hearing submissions from prosecution and defence lawyers, magistrates sent the case to Carlisle Crown Court.
The attempt GBH charge is so serious that it can only be dealt with by a crown court judge.
Hartley, who gave his address as Warwick Road in the city, is due to appear there on May 13, when he is due to formally enter pleas to the charges he faces.
In the meantime he has been remanded in custody by magistrates, who refused an application for bail which was made on the defendant’s behalf.
