Mother's Harrowing Account of Fatal Car Chase Revealed in Court
A mother has recounted the terrifying moments she begged her own cousin not to ram their family car during a high-speed pursuit that tragically claimed the life of her four-year-old son. The harrowing details emerged during a trial at Maidstone Crown Court, where Hayley Maughan described fearing for her life as the chase unfolded on the A2 in Kent.
Panic and Pleas During the Pursuit
Hayley Maughan told the court she was panicking so badly as her cousin, Owen Maughan, 27, and his father, Patrick Maughan, 54, chased her family-of-four for several miles. She explained how she and her partner, Lovell Mahon, who was driving, pleaded with the pursuing vehicle to stop, explicitly telling them that children were in the car.
In her police interview, Ms Maughan stated: "They chased us. We were in fear for our life. We begged them. We told them that the children was in the motor. I knew he was gonna do it. You're not stupid... you're in fear for your life. You've got that gut feeling, don't you?"
The Tragic Crash and Aftermath
The court heard how the chase ended when Owen Maughan's Ford Ranger pick-up truck, travelling at approximately 60mph, drove into the wrong lane and clipped the back of the family's vehicle. Prosecutor Richard Jory KC described this as a deliberate ramming at high speed, alleging Owen had used his car as a weapon to ram the other vehicle off the road.
The family's car flipped and crashed. Ms Maughan recounted searching for her children in the back seats and discovering her son, Peter, was missing. The little boy had been thrown from the vehicle and was found face down in grass. He sustained severe and devastating injuries to his head, chest, and abdomen, which left him with no chance of survival.
Deliberate Act or Terrible Accident?
When asked if she believed the ramming was deliberate or accidental, Ms Maughan gave a poignant response: "This is a terrible accident what happened, but it's not an accident - it's deliberate." She attributed her fear to a mother's instinct, explaining that when your children are in the car, you immediately think, "we're gonna be in a car crash."
The family had been returning from a trip to McDonald's and were driving around to help Peter, who was not a good sleeper, fall asleep. Ms Maughan described them as being happy, laughing, joking before the chase began. During the pursuit, she filmed video clips of the following vehicles and left a voice note for her mother, expressing her fear.
Details of the Defendants' Actions
The court previously heard that Owen and Patrick Maughan had been drinking in Rochester, Kent, on the day of the incident. Owen had consumed about 12 bottles of beer, while Patrick had drunk approximately 13 pints before they began driving home.
Ms Maughan described Patrick Maughan, whom she refers to as Francis, as having a face "blood, blood, blood red" with "froth coming out of his mouth" as he screamed. She said he was in the front passenger seat and was revving Owen up rather than trying to calm him down, which she called a matter of common sense.
Owen Maughan has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Peter Maughan, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Lovell Mahon. Patrick Maughan denies all charges. The trial continues.
