Saffron Ellis-Bestman, 19, had denied being the aggressor in the incident involving victim Sophie Wier but the court didn't believe her
A mother was followed for three miles in a road rage attack before she was punched in the face by a teenage girl.
Mother Sophie Wier was travelling with a baby in her car when she encountered driver Mike Thompson and his girlfriend, Saffron Ellis-Bestman, 19, in Dyserth .
Flintshire Magistrates ’ Court at Mold was today told Miss Wier, who right of way, simply lifted her hands up in frustration when Thompson’s came towards her, overtaking parked cars outside a shop, forcing her to brake.Thompson turned his car around and followed Miss Wier the court heard.
It was said he and Ellis-Bestman made threatening gestures at Miss Wier as they travelled very close behind her.
She was absolutely petrified and when she drove to her parents’ home at Marian, Trelawnyd, she sounded her horn to alert her father because she feared getting out of her car.
Thompson denied travelling close behind claiming there were two or three vehicles between them, and said he had not parked in such a way to block the victim in.
But once at her home Miss Wier was subjected to an attack by Ellis-Bestman, the court heard.
Miss Wier was punched to the face, grabbed by the hair and her head was pulled down when she was further struck.
Her father, Stuart Weir came out to defend his daughter and he pushed Ellis-Bestman away which caused her to fall into a puddle.
But the defendant got up and put the victim in a headlock before punching her again.
Miss Wier suffered a lump the size of a golf ball above her eye together with grazes, scratches and swellings.
Ellis-Bestman, of Troed y Bwlch, Deganwy denied assault and claimed she and her boyfriend had acted in self defence.
They claimed an item had been thrown at their car at Dyserth and that they simply followed to get her registration number in case their car had been damaged.
But prosecutor Helen Hall said nothing had been thrown and said if they had wanted the victim’s registration number then they could have done so without getting out of their vehicle.
Ellis-Bateman claimed she had feared for her life and said she had been hit about 20 times by the victim and her father.
She had injuries including a fractured bone in her wrist and she had also reported the matter to the police she said.
Simon Sargent, defending, said it was the complainant who was the aggressor.
However, magistrates rejected the claim, and said the defendant and her partner had given inconsistent evidence.
The victim’s father had done nothing more than defend his daughter who had been followed to her home, they said.
District Judge Gwyn Jones placed Ellis-Bestman on a 12 month community order with 180 hours unpaid work.
She was ordered to pay £200 compensation with £620 costs and a £85 surcharge.
The judge said that it made no sense whatsoever why anyone should get so wound up over a minor road traffic incident when the victim had right of way.
Judge Jones said Ellis-Bestman had decided to vent her anger on the other driver and caused her significant fear before launching a sustained and repeated assault.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/mum-baby-flintshire-road-rage-12353998
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