A mother who used her Range Rover to try to move an Insulate Britain protester blocking the road while she was on the school run has been banned from driving.
Sherrilyn Speid, from Grays, Essex, was driving her son to school in her black Range Rover Sport last October when she came across three climate protesters sitting in the road near the M25.
The 35-year-old, who appeared for sentencing at Basildon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, was disqualified from driving for a year, handed a community order and ordered to pay a total of £240.
The court heard Speid got out of her vehicle and "remonstrated" with the protesters during the incident at about 8.30am on 13 October.
The scene was caught on camera by a passer-by and the footage quickly went viral online.
Heavily bleeped clips, which were shown in court, captured Speid getting out of her car before swearing and shouting at protesters.
She can be heard saying: “I don’t care what the issue is.
“My son is 11, he needs to get to school today so move out the way and let me get my son to school.”
In a separate clip, the car could be seen jerking forward into the backs of protesters sitting on the road.
Mr Petchey said Speid, who cried in the dock throughout the hearing, was “clearly very angry and agitated by the situation”.
He added that she was not using “excessive speed” and “was using the brakes quite harshly”.
Mr Petchey said dangerous driving means injury could have been caused.
He said: “She knew the protesters were there and had even remonstrated with them but nevertheless chose to move into them with her vehicle.”
The prosecutor also played a clip to the court of an interview Speid did with LBC the day after she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on 28 March.
Speid told the broadcaster “I feel let down”, before calling the criminal proceedings an “injustice”.
Lauren Hebditch, defending, told the court Speid was an “inspiring” woman who was “under severe pressure and stress” that week, having just left an abusive relationship of 12 years.
Ms Hebditch said her client had just moved into a new home after staying in a safe house and was taking new medication prescribed for her mental health.
She added that the footage clearly showed Speid was “anxious” and “stressed”.
The court heard Speid had been in and out of care during her childhood but had channelled her experience into setting up a counselling service for vulnerable children, a WhatsApp group for mental health, and a podcast for working mothers.
It was also told one of the protesters had written to the court saying they did not support the prosecution and did not want proceedings to continue.
Ms Hebditch said the driving ban would mean Speid could no longer shop for her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, drive to work, or drop off her son at school or football.
Chairman of the bench Susan Hawkins handed Speid a community order for 12 months, which includes 20 days of rehabilitation activity.
“We do feel it is serious enough for us to do that,” she said.
She also ordered Speid to pay £240 – a £40 fine, £95 victim surcharge and £105 in costs.
Speid was disqualified from driving for 12 months until 28 March 2023 – following an interim ban she received at the previous hearing on March 28.
She was also told she would have to retake her test.
An assault charge against Speid, in which it was alleged protester Bethany Mogie had been beaten, was dismissed at an earlier hearing after the prosecution said it would produce no evidence.
Additional reporting by Press Association
