The victim of a car crash caused by Naseem Hamed has been cleared of dangerous driving in a separate altercation with the boxer’s wife.

Anthony Burgin, 41, of Bents Green, Sheffield, had denied dangerous driving after an alleged incident involving Eleasha Hamed on 19 April 2007. Mrs Hamed claimed Mr Burgin had deliberately driven his Land Rover at her car. She said her Audi Q7 4×4; containing her three young sons skidded and ended up on a grass verge after Mr Burgin allegedly pulled out from behind another car forcing her to perform an emergency stop. The incident is said to have happened on Long Lane, Loxley, on the outskirts of Sheffield.

In 2005, Mr Burgin was almost killed in a horror smash with Mr Hamed. He was doing 90 mph on the wrong side of the road in his £300,000 McClaren Mercedes and smashed into Mr Burgin’s Volkswagen Golf. Mr Burgin suffered fractures to every major bone in his body and has endured long-term brain damage. Hamed was found guilty of dangerous driving , banned for four years and sentenced to 15 months in jail, of which he served only 16 weeks.

At Mr Burgin’s trial the jury took just 20 minutes to reach the not guilty verdict at Sheffield Crown Court.

After hearing the verdict, Judge Michael Murphy said: “I do hope now that both the Hamed’s and the Burgin’s can draw a line under this and really get on with their lives.”

After the trial Mr Burgin said the whole experience had been “massively unsettling”, but he was enormously relieved by the jury’s verdict. The painter and decorator is still unable to return to work following his crash with Hamed. He said he was in constant pain and despite having 12 operations he still faced the prospect of future surgeries. Mr Burgin said he believed he was lucky to be alive, “I take a different view of life now. I’m lucky to be here. It’s put things into perspective.”

Jane Wright, Mr Burgin’s solicitor, said her client’s compensation claim against Hamed’s insurance company was still ongoing.

The Hameds were not present at court.