A Gillingham woman’s explosive road rage ended with her being jailed for three years and six months after she deliberately drove her car into another motorist following a heated dispute in Swale. Lauren Willis, 28, from Gillingham pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent at Maidstone Crown Court, admitting her role in the shocking collision that left the victim with injuries to his face, teeth, and hands.
The terrifying incident unfolded just after 5am on 31 May 2024, near the Bobbing roundabout on the A249. An earlier dispute over Willis’s manner of driving broke out with the male victim, who was in an Audi, near a petrol station in Sittingbourne. Both drivers continued in the same direction until they stopped near the roundabout.
According to the evidence, Willis and the man both left their cars and an altercation took place. Willis then got back into her Volkswagen Golf and, in a horrifying escalation of the row, drove directly at the man. The victim was reportedly thrown from the car’s windscreen, landing hard on the road. Officers were called to the scene and the injured man was taken to a local hospital for treatment before later being discharged.
Following an investigation, Willis was arrested in Ware, Hertfordshire, two days later and charged on 3 June 2024. At her sentencing on Thursday, 2 October 2025, Willis received the custodial sentence and was also banned from driving for five years and nine months.
Detective Constable Rob Sircar said: ‘Willis’ driving that morning was nothing less than appalling. She put her victim through a terrifying ordeal and it is only by good fortune that the consequences were not far worse. I’m pleased that Willis has been jailed and that she will be prevented from getting behind the wheel upon her release. I hope it brings a sense of comfort to those who have been affected by her behaviour, whilst giving her time to reflect upon her actions and amend her ways.’