Enraged Rider Ordered To Pay £1,500 After Whipping Beeping Teen's Car

Enraged Rider Ordered To Pay £1,500 After Whipping Beeping Teen's Car

A horsewoman has been ordered to pay £1,500 compensation to a teenager whose car she thrashed with her riding crop when he beeped her.

Jacob Knox, 18, sounded the horn of his £30,000 Audi A5 as he passed Jessica Mills riding her horse, Billie Bob, near the village of Mottram St Andrew in Cheshire.

After a heated exchange, the 29-year-old threw the leather crop at the vehicle – causing £1,700 worth of damage, according to Mr Knox.

Prosecutor Debbie Byrne told Macclesfield Magistrates Court how the incident unfolded as Ms Mills rode with a friend, Samantha Chesters.

She said: "He (Mr Knox) drove behind them for around 30 seconds before trying to overtake.

"He then saw the horse move towards the middle of the road blocking his route. He beeped his horn to make sure the rider was aware of his presence but Mills began shouting.

"He tried to pass the horses and he saw Mills grab the whip. He accelerated as she threw her whip and shouted. The whip cracked his windscreen and bonnet."

But eyewitness Miss Chesters told the court: "I knew the Audi was behind us because I could hear the engine.

"It slowed and followed us for seconds before I heard a 2-3 second horn. The Audi was two metres behind the back legs of the horses.

"Jessica and I had a brief conversation about the driver and she turned her horse round so she was facing in the opposite direction and started to approach the Audi.

"He started to reverse and ended up four cars away from his original position. She followed it and shouted for the driver. She was saying how dangerous it was to beep the horn and how they could have got scared.

"She eventually returned and we both spoke about how ridiculous it was and carried on."

The court heard how the Audi then returned and passed the two women 'at speed'.

Miss Chesters recalled how it was at this point her friend 'threw her whip' which landed on the car's roof and 'bounced off'.

In a different version of events, Mr Knox said: "I waited behind the horses until the road was clear so started to overtake the horses as a normal person would.

"I did sound the horn when I was overtaking because they were not concentrating. They were chatting so the horse moved over onto the white line, so I was on the embankment, so I had to let them know I was next to it.

"As I beeped the horn I was called rude names. She started walking her horse towards me and it was very close and she was using it to intimidate me. After I reversed and got a bit of distance she calmed down but then wouldn't let me past on purpose out of spite.

"There was enough room to pass. When I went to overtake she was still calling me rude names and as I went past I saw her lift up her riding whip with a metal handle and she threw it at the car and it hit the bonnet, windscreen and roof. I heard a really loud bang and saw the windscreen crack and realised what happened."

Mills admitted causing criminal damages and was ordered to pay £1,500 compensation.

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