No jail for woman who drove car at ex-best friend

A woman who deliberately drove a car at her former best friend as she walked her daughter home from school today escaped a prison sentence.

Mother-of-three Julie Rundle, 37, used her car to scare Sonia Richards, with whom she had a “long-running feud”, and her seven-year-old daughter Lucy, a court in Plymouth, England heard.

After being convicted of dangerous driving by a jury last month, Rundle today received a two-year conditional discharge.

Rundle also had a previous caution for attempted assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mrs Richards, the court heard.

Judge Francis Gilbert QC told Rundle: “You deserve to go to prison, but to do that would be to punish your three children, and indeed your husband. On this occasion – for their sake, not for yours, because you deserve no sympathy at all, I shall not send you to prison.”

Rundle was disqualified from driving for a year and will have to take an extended driving test before she can hold a licence again.

She was also ordered to pay £1,779 (€2,500) towards the costs of the prosecution.

It is believed the feud was over a debt of £700 (€1,000) which has now been paid to Mrs Richards.