Village road rage driver rammed family's car, smashed into their home and crashed into police
A man who drove into police and terrorised a family by ramming their car and smashing into their home has been jailed.
John Barnett, 43 and from Telford, was jailed for 20 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court over his actions on June 27 last year.
Barnett embarked on a rampage of "total madness" after an argument with his partner at her home in Upton Magna, a village near Shrewsbury, at around 1am, the court heard.
Olivia Appleby, prosecuting, told the court that Barnett had taken his rage out on neighbours of his partner, driving repeatedly into their car with his own vehicle.
The court was told how he had "lined up" his vehicle to smash into the car "shunting" it into the victims' home in Upton Magna.
The police were called and as they arrived Barnett drove off over the lawn at speed before returning to 'goad' officers and then fleeing for a second time.
The court was told officers caught up with Barnett at Upton Magna, on Cycle Route 81, where they positioned the vehicle to stop him.
As an officer got out of the car to approach him Barnett rammed the police car, which had an officer inside; reversed into a wall and drove off – with officers unable to follow due to the damage to the car.
The court heard that the rampage had caused £56,000 worth of damage – including major structural damage to the home, leading to the occupants having to live in a hotel, and then rented accommodation, for more than five months.
The entire front wall, inner wall, ceiling, front door, and window frames all suffered major damage.
Ms Appleby said the incident had left the family fearful for their safety.
Mitigating. Robert Edwards said that the defendant could not explain why he had targeted the victim's home.
He said: "Why he decided to act out his anger on the complainant, Mr Barnett is not able to help with any of that.
"The best he can say is he was in such a state that he just reacted."
Mr Edwards said Barnett also deserved credit for pleading guilty to the charges – two of criminal damage and one of dangerous driving – at the earliest opportunity.
Sentencing Judge Anthony Lowe said: "You do not need me to say this was simply outrageous behaviour. There simply are not any redeeming features. It was total madness on your part and I am sure you know that if you are going to behave like that – red mist or no red mist – it has consequences."
He added: "You took out your anger on the victim, and you didn't even come to your senses after ramming the vehicle once, you again rammed it causing significantly more damage.
"Having done all of that I suspect you felt you had to get away although goodness knows why because it seems fairly obvious who you were would be identified.
"Then the driving with the police is just as serious. You just seem to have gone totally off the scale. You rammed the vehicle while there was a person inside it and none of us can gauge whether that is going to cause injury or not."
Barnett, of Wrekin View, Wrockwardine Wood, was sentenced to 14 months each for both counts of criminal damage – to run concurrently.
He was also jailed for six months for the dangerous driving, meaning a total sentence of 20 months in prison.
He was also banned from driving for two years and will have to take an extended re-test, and was made subject to a restraining order to protect the victims of the attack.
