Jeremy Vine 'Road Rage' Driver Appeal Fails

Shanique Pearson jailed as she was already serving a suspended sentence

Warning: video contains a lot of swearing

22-year-old Shanique Pearson from south-east London has lost her appeal against a conviction for threatening behaviour. She has been jailed as a result of already being on a suspended sentence.

She had been found guilty the February of launching a stream of obscenities at Chiswick-based radio presenter Jeremy Vine after they became involved in a confrontation on a Kensington street in August 2016.

The mother-of-one had also previously admitted driving an unlicensed vehicle. Pearson, who has a number of previous convictions including for assaults and theft.

Isleworth Crown Court heard how Pearson was serving a 22-month suspended sentence for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault with intent to resist arrests and shoplifting following an incident in 2012. Her suspended sentence for that incident began on October 2015. Due to this, she has now been jailed for a total of nine months. She was also required to pay a victim surcharge of £140.

During the appeal, the BBC reports Jeremy Vine as saying, "I felt threatened. I felt I was in danger. I felt I was dealing with a violent person.

"None of that was clear to me when she was in the car. It became clear through this incident as she assaulted, abused and threatened me."

Pearson admitted pushing his bicycle but said that she just wanted him to move out of the way of her black Vauxhall Corsa.

The incident was filmed by a camera attached to Jeremy Vine's cycle helmet and received a substantial number of views when posted online. Mr Vine had stated in his evidence that Pearson jumped out of the car and threatened him at one point saying, "Take a picture of me again and I'm going knock you out."

At the end of the incident while pulling away he said, "She made a finger of her right hand into a gun and mocked fired at me." He claimed that her actions made him fear for his safety.

Pearson was sentenced to one month imprisonment for the section 4 public order offence, to be served consecutively with eight months’ imprisonment for breach of a suspended sentence, relating to earlier offences of theft, actual bodily harm and assault with intent to resist arrest.

At the time of her original conviction on 1 February, Crown Prosecution Service lawyer Kunal Dave said: "Pearson's behaviour was unprovoked and completely unacceptable.

"There was no reason for her to threaten and abuse Jeremy Vine, who, like thousands of cyclists in London each day, was only trying to safely get home, and her excuse that she was shocked and concerned for Mr Vine was not accepted today.

"This case demonstrates that road users who use threatening and abusive behaviour could well find themselves facing a criminal prosecution.”

Detective Inspector Driss Hayoukane, from Notting Hill CID, said,"Road rage incidents like this are completely unacceptable. Threatening anyone with violence is unacceptable and a criminal offence. I hope this sentence serves as a warning and important reminder that all road users should be respected and those that make violent threats will be found and brought before the courts."

April 18, 2017