A JEALOUS husband kidnapped a love rival in a ‘carjacking’ when he discovered he had a passionate affair with his social worker wife, a jury heard.

Craig Dewar is accused of abducting John Hawkins in Blaenavon after finding out Zoe Dewar had cheated on him behind his back with a work colleague.

Prosecutor Andrew Kendall said she and the complainant met while working together as community support workers for Blaenau Gwent Social Services.

It is claimed Craig Dewar, 34, followed Mr Hawkins, muscled his way into his van after overtaking him and slamming on the breaks, forcing him to stop sharply and blocking his path.

The prosecution claim he then forced the alleged victim to drive and follow his 4x4 – driven by another man – and fractured his cheekbone as he made his escape from the vehicle.

His 32-year-old wife is in dock alongside her husband accused of perverting the course by threatening her ex-lover to “drop the charges or it will be 100 times worse for you…I will ruin your career”.

The married couple, of Richmond Road, Six Bells, Abertillery, deny the charges against them which allegedly took place between May 14-15, 2018.

Craig Dewar is accused of kidnap and causing grievous bodily harm

Cardiff Crown Court heard how Zoe Dewar admitted to detectives she had been involved in an “exciting” affair with Mr Hawkins, from Cwmbran.

She said: “It was crazy, crazy, crazy. I would go down to his or he would book hotels. I was living like I was single and I could do what I wanted. It was exciting and we slept together numerous times.”

Mr Kendall told the jury: “Mr Hawkins left work at around 5pm. He was driving his Ford van along his usual route home when, suddenly, he was overtaken by a silver Hyundai Tucson.

“The Tucson positioned itself in front of Mr Hawkins’ van and slammed on its brakes, causing Mr Hawkins to have to stop sharply. It then reversed up to Mr Hawkins’ van, on the face of it, to stop him from driving away.”

The prosecution said a man got out of the Tucson and ran up to Mr Hawkins’ window, reached through and took the keys out of the ignition before moving around the front of the van and getting into the passenger side.

It is alleged he then handed the complaint the keys to the van and shouted, “Follow the car in front or I’ll cut your throat open” as he pushed hard into his neck with a pair pliers.

Mr Kendall said: “Understandably, Mr Hawkins was scared and so he did what was asked of him, following the silver Tucson.

“Eventually, the two vehicles drove through Thomas Gilchrist Industrial Estate. Mr Hawkins attempted at one stage not to follow the Tucson but the male in the passenger seat took hold of the steering wheel and made him follow it, saying again, ‘Follow that car or I’ll kill you’.”

The jury were told as the two men were going through the industrial estate, they passed the offices of a company called SRS and there were “lots of people coming out of the offices, having just finished work”.

Mr Kendall added: “Seeing them, Mr Hawkins braked sharply and swerved into a kerb, before sounding his horn continuously in order to try to attract their attention.

“He undid his seat belt and tried to get out of the van. As he did so though, the male tried to stop him, striking him a number of times to the head/left side of his face.

“Mr Hawkins eventually managed to get out of the van, essentially falling out onto the floor. A number of people came to his aid. Mr Hawkins told them he thought he’d been carjacked.

“The male who had assaulted Mr Hawkins was seen to run away towards the silver Tucson, get into it and drive away.”

Mr Kendall said the complainant was treated at Abergavenny’s Nevill Hall Hospital and the following day, he was at home when Zoe Dewar came to his house.

He told the court: “He hadn’t gone into work because of what had happened the day before. At around about 9.30am, Mrs Dewar turned up. Mr Hawkins was surprised to see her because he thought she would be in work.

“Mrs Dewar told Mr Hawkins that it was her husband, Craig Dewar, who had got into his van and attacked him the day before.

“And this is the reason she finds herself in the dock with her husband. Because what she said to Mr Hawkins then was this: ‘You’ve got to drop the charges or it will be 100 times worse for you…I will ruin your career.’”

Proceeding.