Car terror of Tracey Ann Hart trapped in boyfriend Shaun Abbott's car in Margate
Tracey Ann Hart was taken on a terrifying ride down
Margate High Street. Picture posed by model
by Paul Hooper
A woman was taken on a terror ride through Margate streets –
clinging onto the outside of her furious partner's car with
her arm trapped inside through the window.
Tracey Ann Hart had put her hand inside Shaun Abbott's Saab
after a row over his text messages to a love rival.
But the 42-year-old electrical engineer triggered the
electric window, wedging her arm inside... before setting off down
Margate High Street.
During the frightening journey, Ms Hart held on to the car "for
dear life" as Abbott forced other cars to avoid hitting her.
Then, near Eaton Road, he drove around a roundabout at 30mph the
wrong way – forcing another motorist to "slam on his brakes" to
avoid a collision.
Now Abbott, of Mayfield Road, Herne Bay, has been jailed for a
year after a judge told him he had been "monumentally stupid".
"This was a monumentally, stupid and reckless act which could have resulted in her sustaining more serious injuries..." – Judge Simon James
Judge Simon James said: "This could have resulted in really
serious injuries. This must have been a truly terrifying ordeal for
your victim.
"Whatever high emotions were running and whatever the
provocation, you used your car as a weapon. This was a gratuitous
degradation of your victim."
Prosecutor John O'Higgins told how the couple had been in a
relationship for seven years and had gone to a pub in Margate High
Street in May last year.
Abbott had downed two glasses of cider before meeting up with
his girlfriend and they decided to order a takeaway meal from a
restaurant nearby.
Mr O'Higgins said as they waited, Margate resident Ms Hart
noticed Abbott texting a girl called Jemma on his mobile phone and
the pair began arguing.
Abbott stormed off and sat in his locked car as his lover
demanded he hand over her keys and mobile phone.
"The window was retracted to about a third of the way down and
she reached inside the car to retrieve her items," added Mr
O'Higgins.
The prosecutor said the electric window was then closed -
"effectively jamming her arm inside" - and he began driving
away.
"Initially she was forced to walk backwards as the car travelled
at walking pace and she managed to use a mobile phone to dial 999,"
he added.
Abbott then speeded up forcing Ms Hart to lift her feet as
he drove down the road – forcing other cars to avoid hitting
her.
Anthony and Sian Boyce, who were travelling in a car towards a
roundabout, watched in horror as the Saab, with a woman hanging
onto the side, drove around the roundabout the wrong way.
Mrs Boyce later told officers she saw the woman "in a
crouching position to prevent her feet from dragging" as the
vehicle travelled at 30mph.
Abbott, who admitted driving dangerously and assault, eventually
stopped the car and Ms Hart suffered "a number" of injuries to
her arms, the court heard.
The couple have since ended their relationship and Abbott
claimed he had just "wanted to get away from her".
Bethan Charnley, defending, said: "This offence occurred at
the end of a difficult and fraught relationship. He has now moved
on and has formed a new relationship.
"He accepts that this was a stupid thing that he did but it was
not his primary intention to cause her harm – but he accepts that
was what happened. He is normally a sensible hard-working
person."
Abbott was banned from driving for two years after Judge
James told him: "You drove for a significant distance with Ms Hart
hanging on for dear life.
"This was a monumentally, stupid and reckless act which could
have resulted in her sustaining more serious injuries but I accept
this was not a premeditated act."
12/03/13
- Click here for more Thanet news...
- Click here for more news from across the county...