Basildon: Two people jailed for running man off road

Two people have been jailed for running a man off the road in Basildon thanks to the work of our officers.

Fifty-year-old Hollie Dance and 26 year-old Thomas Summers, were convicted back in April over an incident where a man was chased in his car by two other vehicles, rammed, and then driven at once he was out of the car.

It happened at around 10pm on 10 October 22 when the victim was chased in his car from Westcliff, onto the A127, and into Basildon.

Detectives established the victim had been approached by a group of people, who’d been in a black Toyota Corolla, and blocked the victim in before damaging his vehicle with a baseball bat.

Through examining CCTV, doorbell, and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera footage, officers were able to show how two vehicles had chased the victim’s red Peugeot to Uppermayne.

He called the police while in the vehicle and, when driving down Uppermayne, was rammed by the BMW causing him to strike a tree on the central reservation.

The impact of the collision caused the victim to be ejected from the vehicle onto the road where the Toyota was driven at him before it then drove off.

Dance, of Alton Gardens, Southend, had been driving the BMW and was arrested at the scene.

Officers also established that Summers, also of Alton Gardens, Southend, had been driving the Toyota and he was arrested the following morning.

Following a trial at Basildon Crown Court, on 1 April Dance was convicted of GBH with intent and possessing a weapon designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas, or other thing.

Summers was found guilty of GBH with intent and affray. He was found not guilty of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

At the same court today (Friday 29 May) Dance was sentenced to four years in prison while Summers was sentenced to five years.

Lead investigator Acting Detective Sergeant Amy Day, from Basildon CID, said:

Hollie Dance and Thomas Summers showed clear intent to hurt the victim, and the reality is that the outcome of this incident could have been even more serious than it was.
They were reckless, dangerous, and showed little regard for the safety of anyone else on the road that evening.
I am pleased we’ve been able to hold them responsible.

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