A family thought they were going to die after an angry driver swerved in front of them and attacked their car with a screwdriver. Mum Helen Webster, 50, of Sherwood, spoke as Vauxhall Insignia driver Steven Hind - the dad of her daughter's boyfriend - chased after them after leaving Rainworth on July 4, 2020.
Miss Webster was driving, her daughter Megan Webster was in the front passenger seat and boyfriend Sam Hind was in the back seat, behind Megan, when Hind senior suddenly appeared in his car behind them. Nottingham Justice Centre heard on Monday (October 10). Hind swerved in front of them - causing Miss Webster to brake sharply in her dark grey Ford Galaxy seven-seater people carrier.
Hind approached them with something in his hand - which appeared to be a screwdriver - and hit their wing mirror and door, inflicting £1,245.85 damage. Hind, a Class 1 HGV driver, drove off but was arrested and interviewed - accepting punching and kicking their car but denying he had a screwdriver.
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At the time he was "clearly concerned for his son's welfare", the court was told, and how he "regretted his actions". But this is little comfort for his victims, who have told Nottinghamshire Live of their terror that day.
Miss Webster drove them all to the Hind family home to collect a jumper and jewellery after Sam Hind had moved out. The court heard an argument began over ownership of the jumper, with Hind senior losing his temper and being abusive.
All three left in the people carrier but then noticed Hind had caught up with them, going in front of Miss Webster and slamming on his breaks. After jumping out of his car, he attacked their vehicle with the screwdriver - as his son, Megan and Miss Webster sat terrified inside.
"It was terrifying ,and lasted 20 minutes to half-an-hour, " added Miss Webster, a health and safety, and office manager at Nottingham Academy. Megan, now 20, who lives with Sam in Derbyshire, was on the phone to police as her mum drove at 80mph - just to get away from Hind.
"The feeling was I was afraid for my life and my daughter's and Sam's," said Miss Webster. "At the time this was happening, I accepted the car was going to be severely damaged. I thought, 'I hope he doesn't hit the front of the car, so I can carry on driving'.
"I genuinely did think he was going to kill us, 100%". The car came off lightly with dents, scratches and a loose wing mirror, and a body trim hanging off. Hind admitted affray - receiving eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months - after pleading guilty on the day of trial.
Unpaid work for 80 hours was included in his punishment, but no separate penalty was imposed for a second charge of criminal damage, which Hind, 48, of Webster Close, Rainworth, admitted.
His manner of driving that day was incorporated in the affray charge, but there was no driving ban for Hind or a restraining order - which the victims requested. Disappointed Miss Webster said the sentence for Hind seemed disproportionate to what happened and she feels let down by police and the justice system.
"I'm annoyed the severity of the incident seems to have been watered down," she added. Megan, who now has an emotional support dog "Missy" - a teacup Chihuahua - which she was allowed to bring into court, is equally shocked Hind was allowed to keep his licence.
"I genuinely thought I was done for"
A learner driver, she gave up trying to pass her licence, because she remains scared. "I genuinely thought I was done for," she added, as she also described her disappointment at the sentence.
Martin Long, 44, of Carlton, told Nottinghamshire Live he gave police a statement after witnessing part of the incident on the A614 as he drove his Ford Galxy north to his mother's home with his wife and two young children in the car. "To us it seemed a very odd situation," he said. "Potentially it almost caused an accident and was obviously frightening for the children in their car".
The court heard in Hind's defence that he hit the Webster's car with his fist - and did not have a weapon - and he had never been in trouble before. Judge Rosalind Coe KC said the affray charge included the "threatening nature" of the driving offence", and she dealt with him on that basis.
She heard there had been an unhappy background following a family breakdown with son Sam - where there was no contact between him. She said it was against that background, that Sam and his girlfriend went to his property unexpectedly looking for a lost jumper and Hind's reaction was one of "surprise and emotion but there was absolutely no excuse for the way you behaved and the argument that ensued", added the Judge.
And she said he had taken the "entirely unforgivable decision" to follow them, kicking their car after driving in front of it.
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