Road rage woman, 38, tried to mow down two runners on a busy road in Wales – saying ‘those people shouldn’t be jogging on roads’
- Lauren Goddard shouted at runners as she headed towards Ogmore-by-Sea
- Her ‘erratic’ driving forced two people to quickly move away from the vehicle
A woman with road rage drove at two runners on a busy road in Wales, causing them to dart away from the vehicle.
Lauren Goddard, 38, shouted and beeped at the runners while driving along the B4524 towards Ogmore-by-Sea on March 14, 2021.
One of the runners signalled for her to slow down but she continued driving.
When Ms Goddard arrived in the village, she drove back towards Bridgend.
She saw a runner heading towards her and they described her driving as ‘erratic’.
Lauren Goddard, 38, shouted and beeped at the runners while driving along the B4524 towards Ogmore-by-Sea on March 14, 2021.
Prosecutor Sophie Keegan said the runner moved behind the white line in the road but Ms Goddard veered towards him in her Peugeot 807, forcing him to step out of the way.
A few moments later the defendant approached another runner from behind and beeped her horn.
The runner turned around and saw Ms Goddard shouting at him and he stepped up onto a grass verge, but the defendant swerved up the banking and the victim had to jump out of the way.
Ms Keegan said Ms Goddard nearly lost control of her car but managed to steady herself and drove off.
When she was arrested later that day, Ms Goddard told police: ‘Those people shouldn’t be jogging down roads. They’re 60mph roads.’
The defendant, of Plassy Street, Penarth, denied the offences but was later found guilty of two counts of dangerous driving following a trial.
Ms Goddard, who appeared at her sentencing via videolink from HMP Eastwood Park, left halfway through the hearing and did not return.
When Ms Goddard arrived in Ogmore-by-Sea, she drove back towards Bridgend. She saw a runner heading towards her and they described her driving as ‘erratic’
The court was also told that Ms Goddard pleaded guilty to assault by beating and assaulting an emergency worker – offences that took place on September 7 last year.
She also pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by beating, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of racially/religiously-aggravated harassment, and one count of racially/religiously-aggravated fear/provocation of violence by words/writing.
These offences took place on September 16 last year.
Ms Goddard was also in breach of a suspended sentence for two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.
In mitigation, Ross McQuillian-Johnson described his client as a ‘woman who has suffered a series of events described as horrific’.
He said Ms Goddard had been diagnosed with PTSD and self-medicated with alcohol and recreational drugs in an attempt to suppress memories of those events.
Sentencing, Judge Richard Williams said: ‘There were a series of incidents of offences of aggressive and violent behaviour. These are so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified.’
Ms Goddard was sentenced to 18 months in prison. She was also disqualified from driving for two years and nine months.
Source: Read Full Article
