A mother and son have been jailed following a dangerous 13-mile car chase across Essex that ended with a driver being rammed into a tree. The incident happened on 10 October 2022, when Hollie Dance, 50, and her son Thomas Summers, 26, pursued a man from Westcliff-on-Sea to Basildon after a false claim of assault.
Revenge Motive Exposed
Basildon Crown Court heard that Dance’s daughter falsely accused the victim of attacking her with a bottle. Acting on this claim, Dance followed the man in her BMW while Summers drove behind in a rented Toyota, intent on revenge.
Victims Frantic Police Call
During the chase along the A127, the victim made an increasingly desperate call to police as he tried to escape. The pursuit ended in Uppermayne when Dance rammed his Peugeot into a tree, throwing him from the vehicle.
Dangerous Driving And Assault
Summers then drove into the victim, pushing him into a bush. The victim, a chef, sustained fractures to his shoulder and foot but denied ever attacking Dance’s daughter, calling the allegations “rumours.”
Sentencing And Court Remarks
Dance, with previous convictions dating back to 1996, was convicted of possessing an incapacitant spray and admitted to dangerous driving. Summers was found guilty of affray and admitted to having caused serious injury by dangerous driving. Recorder Peter Clark described the pursuit as “determined, persistent, highly dangerous”. He acknowledged the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Dance’s son Archie Battersbee earlier that year but warned: “Two wrongs do not make a right.”
Jail Terms And Driving Bans
Dance was sentenced to four years in prison, and Summers to five years. Both were banned from driving for two years after their release.
