Woman who drove at Insulate Britain protesters banned from road for a year

A WOMAN has been banned from driving after using her Range Rover to try to move Insulate Britain protesters who were blocking the road while she was on the school run.

Sherrilyn Speid, from Grays, Essex, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to dangerous driving over the incident last October.

The 35-year-old, who appeared for sentencing at Basildon Magistrates’ Court yesterday, was disqualified from driving for a year, handed a community order and ordered to pay a total of £240.

The court heard she had been at the wheel of her black Range Rover Sport when she came across an Insulate Britain protest in Grays at about 8.30am on Wednesday, October 13.

Prosecutor Ashley Petchey said three demonstrators were sitting across the road and queues of traffic had built up behind them.

Speid got out of her vehicle and “remonstrated” with the protesters, the court heard.

The scene was caught on camera by a passer-by and the footage quickly went viral online.

Heavily bleeped clips, which were shown in court, captured Speid getting out of her car before swearing and shouting at protesters.

She can be heard saying: “I don’t care what the issue is.

“My son is 11, he needs to get to school today so move out the way and let me get my son to school.”

Mr Petchey said Speid, who cried in the dock throughout the hearing, was “clearly very angry and agitated by the situation”.

He added she was not using “excessive speed” and “was using the brakes quite harshly”.

Mr Petchey said dangerous driving means injury could have been caused.

However, Lauren Hebditch, defending, told the court Speid was an “inspiring” woman who was “under severe pressure and stress” that week, having just left an abusive relationship of 12 years.

Ms Hebditch said her client had just moved into a new home after staying in a safe house and was taking new medication prescribed for her mental health.

Ms Hebditch said the driving ban will mean Speid can no longer shop for her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, drive to work, or drop off her son at school or football.

Chairman of the bench Susan Hawkins handed Speid a community order for 12 months. She will also have to retake her driving test.