Mum on school run who drove at Insulate Britain protesters blocking road loses licence

A woman who used her car to try to move Insulate Britain protesters who were blocking the road while she was on the school run has been banned from driving for a year.

Sherrilyn Speid, of Grays, Essex, was disqualified from driving, handed a community order, and told to pay £240 costs at Basildon Magistrates Court on Friday.

The 35-year-old mother had already pleaded guilty to dangerous driving following the incident in Grays on 13 October last year.

The court was told she had to stop her black Range Rover Sport at around 8.30am when she found three climate protesters sitting in the road.

In a video of the altercation shown in court, which was shared widely on social media at the time, Speid is seen getting out of her car and shouting at the trio.

“I don’t care what the issue is,” she can be heard saying.

“My son is 11, he needs to get to school today so move out the way and let me get my son to school.”

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She is then seen getting back in her car and driving into the group, causing one woman to grimace in pain.

In a separate clip, the car could be seen jerking forward into the backs of protesters sitting on the road.

Prosecuting, Ashley Petchey, said Speid was “clearly very angry and agitated by the situation”.

Although she was not using “excessive speed” and “using the brakes quite harshly”, Mr Petchey said dangerous driving means the capacity to cause injury.

He added: “She knew the protesters were there and had even remonstrated with them but nevertheless chose to move into them with her vehicle.”

The court was also shown a clip of a radio interview Speid did with LBC the day after she pleaded guilty on 28 March.

In it she said she felt “let down” by the “injustice” of criminal proceedings against her.

Defending, Lauren Hebditch argued that Speid is an “inspiring” woman, and was under “severe pressure and stress” at the time, having just left an abusive relationship of 12 years.

Ms Hebditch said it had caused her to suffer severe anxiety, depression and panic attacks.

But despite being in and out of care as a child, she added, Speid has set up a counselling service for vulnerable children and a podcast for working mothers.

The court was also told one of the protesters had written to the judge to say they did not support the prosecution and did not want proceedings to continue.

But chairman of the bench Susan Hawkins said the offence was “serious enough” to merit the sentence given.

Ms Hebditch said it would mean Speid was no longer able to shop for her mother who has multiple sclerosis, drive to work, or her son’s school.

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