MAN DROVE OVER STEP MOTHER
A drunken wedding guest caused his stepmother "appalling" injuries when he drove at her three times in the car park of a luxury hotel after trouble flared at a reception.
Ben Ashman "lost control of his temper" after his girlfriend objected to the way she had been looked at by a fellow guest during the family celebration at the Bowburn Hotel in County Durham.
The 37-year-old was asked to leave the venue after he confronted them an, and then attacked the guest' s brother, who had tried to intervene.
Ash man next began to argue with one of his step brothersand the violence spilled out into the car park over the night of August 23 and 24 last year.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Ashman's stepmother Kathryn Ashman, in her50s, had heard the com motion from her hotel bedroom and came down in her dressing gown to see what was happening.
She got into a fracas with Ashman's girlfriend who launched an attack on her, pulling her onto the ground.
When Ashman's step brother Kyle tried to intervene, he punched him twice, knocking him to the floor, where he continued to attack him.
The violence was witnessed by the bride Amy, who had married Ashman's step brother Connor, and she called Ashman's girlfriend's close friend Jo die Young to try and calm the situation down.
But without warning Ashman came over and punched Ms Young to the right side of the head and she was knocked to the floor.
Prosecuting, Jolyon Perks, said: "When she was able to look up she saw the defendant and his girlfriend getting into his Vauxhall four-wheel drive.
"A number of people tried to stop the defendant from driving away because he was so obviously so drunk."
Ms Young tried to take the keys from Ash man' s hands but he trapped her arm in the door.
Kyle then picked up a large rock from the car park and threw it at the driver's windscreen.
Despite this, Ash man began driving at "excessive speed" towards the people standing around, before deliberately targeting Kyle.
Kyle was so terrified he tried to shield himself by hiding behind Ms Young’s Nissan Juke, which Ashman then smashed into.
He reversed his vehicle out of the car park and towards people, when he hit his stepmother Kathryn.
He then stopped his car and reversed over her, pulling her along underneath the vehicle.
Next, Ashman drove forward, causing the wheels to run over Kathryn for a second time.
He was later arrested at Bradbury Service Station after driving south along the A1.
The court heard how the victim suffered horrendous injuriesincluding six broken ribs and two fractured eye sockets. She also sustained significant damage to her right forearm, blurred vision, tyre marks on her right upper back and had to spend 10 days in hospital.
Ashman, of Sunderland Street, Houghton, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, common assault,attempting to cause GB H, dangerous driving and criminal damage.
Sentencing him to six years in prison, Judge Robert Adams said :" This was out of character and you genuinely and properly accept responsibility for what you have done.
“You are very lucky ... she was not more seriously injured or fatally."