A raging drunk driver who mowed down a pedestrian outside a pub without realising it was his daughter’s boyfriend has been jailed.
Scott Simmonds, 49, took it upon himself to drive into Joe Neal as revenge for being ‘barged’ by him on the dancefloor at the Station House pub in Tonbridge on April 23 2022.
After having thrown a glass in fury and was thrown out by staff, he drunkenly drove off in his car and collided with another vehicle.
He headed back to the pub and, on seeing his victim on the pavement, mounted the kerb and deliberately ploughed into him.
But Simmonds had no idea the man he targeted was the boyfriend of his estranged daughter of 17 years Megan Lock-West, Maidstone Crown Court was told.
Not only did he not know about the relationship, but was ‘completely unaware’ his daughter, who he had not seen since she was five years old, had been in the pub that night.
Ms Lock-West was walking behind Mr Neal at the time and ended up also being hit by her father, as he admitted it was ‘not my brightest move’.
Simmonds, from St Leonards-on-Sea, near Hastings, admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving and failing to stop but did not plead guilty to the most serious charge until the first day of his trial in March this year.
Scott Simmonds, 49, took it upon himself to drive into Joe Neal as revenge for being ‘barged’ by him on the dancefloor at the Station House pub in Tonbridge (pictured) on April 23, 2022
Although Ms Lock-West had pointed her dad out to Mr Neal, there was no communication between them.
Angry and shouting, he smashed a pint glass on the ground before door staff ejected him from the premises.
The marquee erector then drove off, heading towards Avebury Avenue. But, once at the roundabout, he took the fourth exit to travel the wrong way down Barden Road, colliding with the front bumper of another vehicle as he did so.
Then, as he reached the pub, he was captured on CCTV driving into Mr Neal.
Prosecutor Nishma Exley-Shah told the court: ‘The defendant stopped his vehicle in the road….he reversed back and drove at Mr Neal while he was on the pavement with Ms Lock-West behind him.
‘He drove up the kerb and struck Mr Neal to the leg. Mr Neal jumped up and backwards but was still thrown onto the bonnet before falling onto the pavement.
‘Ms Lock-West was also struck to the leg but this was as a result of being struck by Mr Neal as he was knocked back.’
The court heard Simmonds then reversed and drove off as Mr Neal, by then back on his feet, kicked out at the car.
Ms Exley-Shah said he had suffered ‘no significant injury’ and chose not to provide a police statement.
Meanwhile, details of Simmonds’ car were circulated and, about 90 minutes later, he was pulled over by officers.
On being breathalysed, he gave an alcohol reading of 80 micrograms in 100 millilitres of breath, when the legal limit is 35.
He was then ‘forthcoming’ about what had happened that night, said Ms Exley-Shah.
‘He told police “I got the hump, a bit of rage. A bloke bumped into me in the pub. I got the hump, got in my car and run him over. Not my brightest move.”,’ the lawyer told the court.
‘He agreed he threw a glass at the man who barged into him, got thrown out, left in his car, drove off, went back, saw the man and drove at him, striking him,’
‘But he said he only intended to frighten him in revenge for barging into him.
‘He said he didn’t know his daughter was in the pub or that the man was her partner.’
The prosecutor added that Ms Lock-West had herself considered it to be ‘highly plausible’ Simmonds had not seen her at any point.
In mitigation, Simmonds’ lawyer Kiera Vinall told the court that he felt ‘considerable shame’ and was ‘deeply sorry and regretful’ for his behaviour.
Simmonds, she added, had been going through ‘a period of personal difficulties’, including three close family bereavements, and was using alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Ms Vinall said he had since demonstrated a determination to tackle his drinking problem, working on a voluntary basis with intervention services and as a speaker for the Change Grow Live charity.
Urging the court to impose a community-based punishment, she added: ‘He is not the person he was four-and-a-half years ago when he committed these offences.
‘They were very clearly the wake-up call that he needed to do something drastic and turn his life around and away from alcohol.
‘A sentence of immediate custody now would reverse all the good work he has done.’
However, Judge Oliver Saxby KC said the offending was too serious to be marked by anything other than imprisonment.
The car was used as a highly dangerous weapon, and the braking seen on the CCTV was to prevent it from colliding with the building, not Mr Neal, he remarked.
Furthermore, had Simmonds achieved his aim, he could have been in the dock facing a murder charge, the judge added.
Jailing him for three years and four months, Judge Saxby said: ‘You said you “got the hump”, lost your temper and tried to run Mr Neal over. “Not my brightest move” is how you put it, and indeed, that was correct.
‘Fortunately, neither Mr Neal nor your daughter were injured. But that was a miracle and, in part, because of him seeing you and jumping out of the way.
‘If he hadn’t, your car would have struck him and run over him. And that was your intention….You intended to cause him serious harm. You drove at him.
‘You were in a ton-and-a-half worth of metal, driving at a pedestrian and at night. You were in drink, and driving dangerously.
‘It is an ugly piece of offending – not just an impulsive moment but an impulsive few minutes.
‘In the meantime, you have been out of trouble, you have taken steps to address your issues. That is a step in the right direction.
‘I recognise you have work and custody will be hard for you given your emotional issues. I accept at the time you had personal difficulties going on that led to your drinking and losing your temper.
‘I accept too that you have remorse. I have read your letter [to the court]… I get it.
‘But what you are regretting is something really serious. You could be sitting here being sentenced for the offence of murder, if he had died, or GBH with intent.
‘Remorse, yes. But I cannot lose sight of the seriousness of the offence.’
Highlighting the delay in criminal proceedings, although due to Simmonds’ late plea, had been used to his benefit, Judge Saxby added: ‘If it was all about you, the sentence would be different. And I understand the ask is for you not to go to prison.
‘But there has to be punishment for acting with potentially really serious circumstances. You lost your mind.’
Simmonds was also handed a driving ban for four years and eight months, and told he must take an extended test to regain his licence.
