A father and son duo have been found guilty of causing the death of a four-year-old boy after deliberately ramming his family’s vehicle off the road in Northfleet.
Rampage on the Road
On Sunday 1 June 2025, Owen Maughan, 28, was driving his Ford Ranger with his father, Patrick Maughan, 54, in the passenger seat. They were tailing another Ford Ranger carrying Peter Maughan — a four-year-old boy — along with his mother, father, and sister.
Suddenly, Owen rammed the family’s vehicle at around 60 mph on New Barn Road, causing it to roll over. The crash left Peter with fatal injuries. His father suffered life-changing harm, while his mother and sister escaped with minor injuries.
Drunken Drive Ends in Disaster
Court heard Owen and Patrick had spent the afternoon drinking in Rochester pubs. Over six and a half hours, Owen downed about 12 bottles of alcohol, and Patrick gulped 13 pints.
Dashcam footage revealed Owen tailgating and aggressively pursuing the family for miles along the A2. The terrified family tried to escape, but failed. They finally stopped side by side at the Pepperhill junction, where a heated verbal exchange took place, right before the fatal collision.
Aftermath and Court Ruling
Before police arrived, the injured children and woman were rushed to a hospital. Peter sadly died despite rushed medical care.
Owen and Patrick bolted from the scene. CCTV later caught Patrick removing their car’s number plate. The damaged Ford Ranger was found abandoned in Hextable with a child’s pushchair trapped underneath.
Owen surrendered himself the next day. Patrick was arrested in Berkshire two days later.
Both men were charged with Peter’s murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, and two counts of attempted GBH with intent.
After a three-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court, the pair were cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter. Patrick was also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to Peter’s father — a charge Owen had admitted to earlier.
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