Penarth woman with 'road rage' deliberately drove at runners

A woman with "road rage" told police "Those people shouldn't be jogging down roads" after deliberately driving at two runners.

Lauren Goddard, 38, drove towards the runners while driving in Ogmore-by-Sea, Bridgend, on March 14th 2021.

Newport Crown Court heard the runners were forced to move out of the way to avoid being hit.

A sentencing hearing was also told Goddard had dropped a friend off after an argument shortly before becoming angry at the runners on the side of the road.

Prosecutor Sophie Keegan said despite the first runner moving behind the white line in the road, Goddard veered her Peugeot 807 towards him.

Moments later, the defendant approached another runner from behind, beeping her horn. The runner turned and, after seeing Goddard, stepped up a grass verge. She then followed him with her car, forcing him to jump out of the way to avoid a collision.

According to the prosecution, Goddard nearly lost control of the car but managed to regain it and drove off.

When she was arrested later the same day, she told police: "Those people shouldn't be jogging down roads. They're 60mph roads."

The defendant, of Plassy Street, Penarth, denied the offences but was later found guilty of two counts of dangerous driving following a trial. Appearing at the sentencing from HMP Eastwood Park, Goddard left midway through and did not return.

In a separate incident, the court was also told Goddard pleaded guilty to assault by beating and assaulting an emergency worker – offences which took place on September 7th last year.

She also pleaded guilty to three counts of assault by beating, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of racially/religiously-aggravated harassment, and one count of racially/religiously-aggravated fear/provocation of violence by words/writing. Those offences took place on 16th September last year.

Goddard was also in breach of a suspended sentence for two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

In mitigation, Ross McQuillian-Johnson said his client had suffered a series of events described as horrific." He said she had been diagnosed with PTSD and self-medicated with alcohol and recreational drugs.

Sentencing, Judge Richard Williams said: "There were a series of incidents of offences of aggressive and violent behaviour. These are so serious only a custodial sentence can be justified."

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