A mother has claimed her Audi 4x4 malfunctioned before she ploughed into a Kingston hair salon while allegedly trying to mow down a cyclist she had rowed with.

Natalie Pyne, 31, is accused of attempted grievous bodily harm after knocking autistic Simon Edgley off his bike in Park Road in June last year.

Yesterday: Mum 'rammed cyclist through salon window with her 4x4 following argument'

Traffic officer PC Peter Traylor told Kingston Crown Court today that he could find “no fault” with the car other than those caused by the accident which resulted in more than £25,000 worth of damage to the Park Salon.

He said: “I tried lots of different scenarios to try and [get the car] to do what the lady had told us it had done.

“The car's fail safe system would not let me do it.”

In a statement taken by police after the accident and read out by prosecutor James Lofthouse, Mrs Pyne, of Mount Pleasant Road, New Malden, said she had been having problems with the car and felt threatened by Mr Edgley’s behaviour.