Pregnant mum in Kent jailed for 18 months for running over sister while over limit for cocaine

A pregnant mum-of-two has been jailed for 18 months for running over her sister while at more than twice the legal driving limit for cocaine.

A court heard Lisa Bowden, 33, warned her younger sibling Jade that she would kill her just seconds before she mowed her down in her Vauxhall Astra and fractured her thighbone.

Her children, aged 10 and 12, were in the car at the time of the incident outside Beef and Babes gym in Greenhithe, Kent.

Jade Bowden went flying over the bonnet and landed on the busy road, hitting her forehead and narrowly avoiding being struck by a passing vehicle.

Lisa Bowden then drove off, leaving her sister seriously injured and ‘terrified’ she would die, Maidstone Crown Court in Kent was told.

When arrested, Lisa Bowden’s drug reading registered 128 microgrammes for the cocaine by-product benzoylecgonine. The legal limit is 50.

She later claimed the positive test result was a consequence of someone spitting in her mouth.

The court was told the sisters were now reconciled and that Jade Bowden, who has made a full recovery, had asked that her statement to the police be retracted.

It also heard that Lisa Bowden is now 16 weeks pregnant.

Despite this, a judge said imprisonment was unavoidable.

Jailing her on Wednesday after she had previously admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, drug-driving, and having no insurance, Judge Oliver Saxby KC told the court she had ‘completely lost her temper’ that day.

Judge Saxby said: ‘The incident was your fault. It was you who had picked the argument, it was you who got angry, it was you who was unable to contain that anger, and it was you who drove at her. She could have died.

‘She could easily have also been run over by the other car. 

‘We have watched the video clip and it’s a miracle she wasn’t and was just brushed by it.’

The incident took place outside Beef and Babes gym (pictured) in Greenhithe, Kent. Jade Bowden went flying over the bonnet and landed on the busy road, hitting her forehead and narrowly avoiding being struck by a passing vehicle

Explaining his decision not to suspend the prison term, Judge Saxby said there was no realistic prospect of rehabilitation and custody would not impact her two children, who live with their father.

He told Lisa Bowden: ‘These offences are so serious that appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody. 

‘I can well understand how your sister, here in court, wishes none of this happened and you weren’t being sent to prison.

‘But I have a wider duty to the public to ensure just punishment for crimes that are committed.’

At the end of the hearing, Jade Bowden could be heard crying in the public gallery while another woman, who introduced herself to the judge as their mum, said: ‘Your Honour, you did the right thing.’

Lisa Bowden, of Wiltshire Close in Dartford, Kent, was also banned from driving for 33 months.

She has a previous conviction for driving without a licence and a reprimand for common assault.

The court heard there was ‘bad blood’ between the siblings after Lisa Bowden started dating the former partner of one of Jade Bowden’s friends.

Prosecutor John Connor said on the afternoon of December 14 last year, Lisa Bowden drove to the friend’s home, where there was arguing and shouting.

Lisa Bowden’s children were in the back of the Astra and became distressed, at which point their aunt, Jade, went to speak to them.

However, her sister was said to have become upset at the ‘intrusion’, the court heard.

The prosecutor said: ‘She told her sister “Get away from my car and my kids. I’m going to kill you. Don’t move. I’m going to run you over.”

‘She looked angry, was gritting her teeth and then moved off, spinning the wheels of her Astra and hitting Jade’s left leg, causing a fractured femur, concussion and quite extensive bruising.’

The incident was captured on CCTV and played during the sentencing hearing.

As well as a fractured leg, for which she required surgery to fit a metal plate and screws, Jade Bowden suffered a sprain to her right leg and bruising to her head and body.

She told police at that time that the incident had had a ‘huge effect’ on her mental health.

But Mr Connor said that when police spoke to her more recently, she said she was ‘all better’, and then asked if it was ‘too late’ to retract her statement.

Alexa Le Moine, defending, said Lisa Bowden would ‘take her actions back in a heartbeat’.

‘Not only was her behaviour out of character but she remains disgusted with herself that she did that to her sister, who she adores so much, and with her children in the car,’ added Ms Le Moine.

But despite assertions of Lisa Bowden showing remorse and regret, Judge Saxby said it was ‘newborn’, adding she had ‘lied’ to the author of her pre-sentence report and that there was no evidence to support her claims of suffering from PTSD, or of engaging with either mental health teams or social services.