Love triangle fury: dad tried to mow down son

A father who got his son's girlfriend pregnant has been convicted of trying to run down the son with a car.

James Bowring, 45, of Te Puna, near Tauranga, pleaded not guilty in Tauranga District Court to recklessly operating a motor vehicle, assault with a blunt instrument, and driving while disqualified.

Judge Peter Rollo found Bowring guilty and remanded him on bail for sentence on February 26.

The relationship between Bowring and his son Jacob soured after Bowring got his teenage son's 18-year-old girlfriend pregnant, The Bay of Plenty Times reports.

Jacob Bowring gave evidence that about 1pm on November 18 he was walking along Windermere Drive, Tauranga, towards his home when his father drove past accompanied by his former girlfriend and his 14-year-old female flatmate. He said after an exchange of obscenities between him and his father and giving each other the finger, his father drove off.

But a few minutes later after dropping off the younger girl, his father did a U-turn and drove back at about 40-50kmh.

He then suddenly veered off the road and drove straight at him, up and over the kerb and on to the grass verge part of the footpath.

Jacob Bowring said to avoid being hit he ran and hid behind a lamp post while his father's car ended up landing between the post and a nearby parked car before he drove off again without saying anything.

The police officer in charge of the case, Constable Shane McCarty, who conducted the scene examination, said scuff marks on the road and skid marks on the grass verge supported the son's account.

When Bowring took the stand he admitted mounting the kerb and aiming the vehicle at his son but said he was "pretty upset" being calling a "paedophile" and being told that he belonged in a "mental" home, when he has a bipolar disorder.

- NZPA