Portsmouth mum spared jail for driving Nissan Micra 'as a weapon' at 7 people in Buckland family feud

Mum-of-three Victoria Hadley, 29, had been drinking when she went with a relative to Steerforth Close in Buckland to challenge other family members.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard how a relative of hers had alleged he had been abused.

The court heard Hadley went with the man and launched a brick or rock through the rear windscreen of a woman’s car parked outside.

Hadley’s pal Saffron Godfrey chucked a rock towards the house on January 19 last year, the court heard.

Prosecutor Edward Hollingsworth said: ‘That behaviour along with abuse and the like being shouted outside refers to “paedos” and similar causes members of the family who lived at that address to go outside and confront Miss Hadley and the others who were there.

‘There was a large, loud and verbally disorderly exchange, pushing and shoving.’

Neighbours came out of their homes to watch as Hadley and another woman threw punches at each other and pulled hair.

But Hadley, of Watts Road, Buckland, then got into her parked Nissan Micra using it as a ‘weapon’ - revving the engine at a crowd of around seven people.

She lurched forward – despite Ms Godfrey trying to stop her – and knocked Ms Godfrey unconscious and injured a man and woman.

The man was ‘nearly sandwiched’ between his own parked car and the Micra and was left with a ‘ringing in his ears,’ bruised knees and pain in his head.

The injured woman, a neighbour, was pushed back into a parked car after being hit in the knees and hip. She suffered bruising to her wrist and elbow.

Mr Hollingsworth said: ‘(Hadley) very deliberately got into the car, very deliberately revving her engine and deliberately advancing the vehicle to try and intimidate.

‘Quite whether she intended the car to lurch forward as it did with such speed as it did is another matter.’

Recorder Elisabeth Bussey-Jones imposed a 30-week jail term suspended for 18 months with two-month tagged curfew between 6pm-6am.

Hadley must pay £800 compensation for the window, and complete 15 days’ rehabilitation activities.

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Hadley admitted dangerous driving, criminal damage and two charges of battery.

James Caldwell, for Hadley, said things ‘got out of hand’ and added: ‘She did not go there with the intention to behave in the way she did.’

Recorder Bussey-Jones said jailing Hadley would have a significant effect on her children. She banned Hadley from driving for a year with extended retest.

‘You essentially with others have taken matters into your own hands - extremely wrong - extremely culpable of you to think you should,’ the judge said.

She added Hadley used the car ‘essentially as a weapon’.

Ms Godfrey was given a police caution.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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