Rene Bonito (left) was found not guilty of stabbing Steve Webb (right) in a road rage incident. While he admitted he was the one who stabbed Webb, Bonito said he did it in self defence and the judge agreed. (Sun Media/Tracy McLaughlin)

BARRIE -- A Hamilton man who stabbed another man in the lung in a road-rage incident was justified in his use of force, a judge ruled yesterday.

Rene Bonito, 37, let out a sigh of relief when Justice Peter Howden found him not guilty of aggravated assault, but guilty of dangerous driving.

Steve Webb, of Barrie, was stabbed in the dispute and lost 40% of his blood from a severed artery while being air-lifted to Sunnybrook hospital.

Bonito, an electrician, never disputed that he stabbed Webb, but he insisted Webb got out of his vehicle to attack him, advancing "with red face and purple lips."

Court heard it was a hot day when hundreds of vehicles were trapped on Hwy. 400 following a fatal accident and drivers were being funnelled off the highway onto Canal Rd., south of Barrie, on June 17, 2007.

Bonito cut off other vehicles, fingers were jabbed in the air, tires squealed and a game of "chicken" ensued between Bonito and another van. The van made a U-turn and took off, and Webb, who was in another vehicle behind, insisted he only got out of his vehicle to get Bonito's driver's licence. But the judge didn't believe him.

Bonito testified he thought he was "a dead man" when Webb started punching him in the head, so he took his multi-tool off of his belt and stabbed Webb with the knife.

A third witness, who was driving with Webb, testified it wasn't a fist-fight, "it was a girly fight" and the men were just slapping at each other.

But the judge found Bonito had no way of knowing what Webb intended to do as he ran at him.

"I find clearly that Mr. Webb was the aggressor," Howden said. "While Mr. Bonito's driving was reprehensible, it gave no reason for Mr. Webb to lose it."

Court heard both men had criminal records -- Webb for assault and Bonito for possession of a weapon.

Bonito will be back in court for sentencing on the driving offence on Nov. 13.