A JEALOUS dad hit his ex-partner's new lover with a pickaxe handle before chasing him through a Worcester school in front of terrified children.

Robert Ward also struck a female teacher with the weapon as staff tried desperately to disarm him and bring a halt to his rampage at the city's Fort Royal School, which cares for children with special needs.

It was only when a courageous teacher rugby tackled 25-year-old Ward to the ground that he was finally brought under control, a brave action commended by a judge at Worcester Crown Court on Friday.

The incident with the pickaxe handle followed one of dangerous driving, when Ward, of Oatfields, Trent Close, Droitwich rammed his ex-partner's white Volkswagen Scirocco and chased her at speed, attempting to block her into a layby.

Timothy Hills, prosecuting, said Rhys Newman, who had become involved with Ward's former partner, was near the school on September 16 last year when the defendant pulled up in a Ford Fiesta, looking 'extremely angry'.

Ward produced a pickaxe handle and sprinted towards Mr Newman, who ran into a blind alley where Ward struck him on the shoulder with the weapon before he ran back the way he had come, taking refuge in the school.

Staff tried to close the doors to keep Ward out but he was able to get inside.

Mr Hills said said: "There were parents and a lot of small children around as Mr Newman ran into the school shouting 'help me! Help me!'"

Inside the school three female teachers tried to disarm Ward, one of whom was struck on her right elbow with the pickaxe handle, believed at the time to be a baseball bat.

Mr Newman ran into the hall to get away. The children who were there were 'distressed and upset' by what they had witnessed.

Mr Newman managed to get into a room and lock the door behind him.

A member of staff rugby tackled Ward and, with the help of a colleague, managed to restrain him until police arrived and he was arrested

As he was led away by police Ward said: "Sorry mate, but you would have done the same."

During the dangerous driving incident, on June 28 last year, Ward rammed the back of his ex-partner Laura Maney's car on the A449 near Worcester, causing £731 of damage.

He twice tried to block her in and the chase only came to an end when three men in a council lorry intervened and Ward made off.

Ward told a probation officer that he felt Mr Newman had 'almost taunted him' over having a relationship with his partner.

Ward also claimed the relationship with Miss Maney was ongoing and that her actions had been 'infidelity'.

The court heard Ward felt 'remorse and regret' for what had happened in front of children.

Richard Hull, defending, said: "The offences are domestic in nature but appear to be anger management issues as much as calculated domestic abuse."

Recorder Martin Jackson said: "You attempted and did hit Mr Newman with a weapon which could have inflicted very serious injuries. I have been given no satisfactory explanation of why you had the pickaxe handle in the car.

"It is a singularly distasteful aspect that you were prepared to take the threat and use of violence into a school without any thought of the impact of that behaviour on young children who must have been scared witless by seeing you chasing someone while wielding a pickaxe handle."

Mr Jackson jailed Ward for 27 months – 21 months for the affray and six for dangerous driving.

A 12-month driving ban will begin when Ward is released from prison.

A restraining order for two years was granted in relation to Miss Maney and an indefinite restraining order in relation to Mr Newman.