Road rage woman who left mother and her children terrified spared jail
A WOMAN launched a tirade of abuse during a road rage attack on a terrified mum taking her two children to nursery.
Leanna Greenwood, 30, wept as she was spared an immediate jail term by magistrates in Bristol for the 15 minutes of abuse and threats directed at victim Tanya Thelwell.
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Leanna Greenwood, 30
Greenwood, 30, followed Mrs Thelwell’s car, before getting out and circling the vehicle screaming abuse and threats.
She even moved her red Peugeot car because commuters were beeping their horns – intentionally slamming her door against her victim’s car – so she could continue the barrage.
A shaken Mrs Thelwell had to ask someone to take her two upset children into nursery following the attack in Speedwell.
In mitigation, the court heard Greenwood was like a “coiled spring ready to explode” after a personal tragedy and now wanted to write a letter of apology to Mrs Thelwell.
Greenwood, of Summerhill, Totterdown, had pleaded guilty to using threatening language and a count of criminal damage.
The court heard it was the second time Greenwood had been convicted of a road rage incident and had been handed a suspended prison sentence on the last occasion.
Yesterday magistrates told Greenwood: “This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is justified. It was a sustained attack in front of children and was a road rage incident. But because of your personal circumstances we are not going to send you to prison today.”
Greenwood was given 18 weeks in prison suspended for two years and must pay £1,200 compensation.
Laura Opie, prosecuting, said the offence took place in Harewood Road Speedwell on September 7 last year.
She said Mrs Thelwell was driving her car and two young children along Meadow Vale when a car driven by Greenwood appeared on the wrong side of the road at a junction.
A statement made by Mrs Thelwell was read to the court by Miss Opie to open the case.
It said: “I made way for her and she made a face at me while making the manoeuvre. I said under my breath ‘thank you’.
“I looked in my rear view mirror and could see her following me. I parked in Harewood Road and she pulled up very close to me. She got out of her car and came towards me.”
Greenwood swore and was shouting, demanding to know what Mrs Thelwell had said to her.
Mrs Thelwell added: “I was alarmed by this and she was screaming at me to get out of my car.
“She shouted ‘You don’t know who I am, I am a bad woman.’
“My children were getting upset and she was circling my car and trying to get into my car. Traffic was beginning to queue and other motorists were beeping their horns.
“She opened her door and deliberately hit it against the side of my car before moving forward.
“She came towards me again and spat at my car. She called me a white bitch and said she knew where I lived.”
Miss Opie added: “An elderly man asked the defendant to stop but she ignored him and continued to abuse Mrs Thelwell.
“She said she wasn’t leaving and was going to smash Mrs Thelwell’s face in. The incident lasted about 15 minutes.
“Afterwards Mrs Thelwell had to calm down and get somebody else to take her children into the nursery.
“She was totally shocked by it all and couldn’t understand what she had done to inspire such a reaction.”
Jane Taylor, defending, said single mum Greenwood had been a woman of good character but that a difficult relationship and personal tragedy had left her like a “coiled spring”.
“As a single mum with two children she was having to hold things together for their sake when inside she was feeling like a coiled spring ready to explode,” Miss Taylor said.
“She does not excuse what has gone on, she knows her behaviour was abhorrent.
“She has expressed genuine remorse and would like the opportunity to write to the woman involved to apologise.
“You may feel that this has crossed the custody threshold but I would implore you not to send her to prison.”
the poor UK :( it is almost too late…
Typical….
I’m fucking sick of this shit. She should be hung
To be fair I don’t think this should be a hanging offence. But certainly if the races were reversed, she’d be facing jail time or a massive fine. That’s what she should have got, and that’s what I’m fucking sick of: the two-tier legal system, where there’s one rule for whites and another rule for non-whites.