A DRIVER who ran down four men in High Wycombe town centre in his gold Lexus has been jailed for almost 13 years.

Judge Morton Jack sentenced Saghir Hussain, 26, of Adelaide Road, to a total of 12 years and nine months imprisonment at Oxford Crown Court last Monday.

Hussain deliberately ploughed his car into Mohammad "Lucky" Liaquat, 39, and Mr Liaquat's two brothers Suaib Ghalab, 35, and Mohammed Abid, 47, on June 22 last year. In a twist of fate, he also accidentally ran down his own cousin, 23-year-old Imran Hussain, who was left in a coma for eight days.

Barnaby Evans, prosecuting, said: "You were quite prepared to use your car as a weapon. You were tooled up. There was bad blood between you.

"This is a man who was prepared to use his pride and joy to drive at people."

In the weeks leading up to the incident Saghir Hussain and Mr Liaquat had an "aggressive" run-in at the Shell garage in Cressex.

The pair were at odds over the affections of a woman from Castlefield, Acia Bashir, who had formerly been involved with Mr Liaquat.

Hussain, who refused to swear on the Koran during the trial because it was not a Muslim court, said it was Mr Liaquat's family who had attacked him and his cousin. He said the idea he would deliberately run people over was "completely untrue". He said: "I would never hurt my cousin."

Defending, Jason Cross said Hussain was a sole carer for his 51-year-old parents, who are both diabetic. Mr Cross said: "He's largely been the carer for his parents and in these circumstances I'm asking for some leniency."

Hussain was found guilt of two charges of actual bodily harm, one of grievous bodily harm with intent and one charge of dangerous driving. He was cleared of one charge of grievous bodily harm with intent.