A 36-year-old woman who deliberately drove her Ford Focus into her estranged mother outside a Cradley Heath garage has been given a suspended prison sentence. Tammy McMullon, of Lyndale Road, Dudley, was convicted by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and dangerous driving following an incident on December 11, 2023.
What happened at the garage
McMullon drove to Garratts Lane where her mother, Lisa Randell, worked. CCTV footage showed her mounting the kerb and driving directly at her mother, leaving Ms Randell with bruising to her legs and a swollen thumb. The court heard that McMullon sent a message to her mother two days earlier that demonstrated 'anger and contempt'.
Recorder Barker, sentencing, said: 'I'm entirely satisfied, from the evidence that I saw and heard, that the driving, and consequently the assault on your mother, was deliberate and not just reckless.' She described the car as a 'highly dangerous weapon'.
Impact on the victim
In a statement read to the court, Ms Randell said she felt 'scared' of her daughter and described 'suffering emotionally' after the attack. She said she considered taking her own life and 'does not think she will ever get over what happened'. The incident also impacted her relationships with other relatives, including her own mother.
McMullon, a mother of three and a Universal Credit claimant, had no previous convictions. Her defence lawyer, Emily Waggott, said she 'respects the verdict of the jury' and added: 'She does not seek to go behind that. She wishes that this incident never happened.'
Background and mitigation
Waggott told the court that McMullon had a 'troubled young life' and did not have a good relationship with her mother. Her grandmother served as her maternal figure. The defendant now cares for her grandmother, who has multiple medical conditions, taking her to daily hospital appointments. She also cares for her husband, who has 'significant' mental health difficulties and is also on Universal Credit.
Waggott said: 'He is terrified for today and the effect it may have on their children.' McMullon holds a degree in dancing from the University of Wolverhampton and planned to return for a teaching degree, which will now be 'rather difficult' due to her convictions. She has worked as a barmaid and receptionist and hopes to start her own business, having volunteered as a football coach with her husband.
Sentence and conditions
Recorder Barker noted that McMullon maintains her 'ludicrous' claim that the incident was an accident, despite overwhelming CCTV evidence. She said: 'The nature of your offending and your deliberate decision to drive your car at your mother, albeit briefly, was extremely serious.'
McMullon received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, on Wednesday, July 22. The judge stated she was bound by Parliament to suspend sentences of 12 months or less unless exceptional circumstances applied, and acknowledged that if she had discretion, she 'may well not' have suspended it.
Additional conditions include a 10-year restraining order banning contact with her mother, a two-year driving ban, a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and a £500 compensation payment to Ms Randell.
The court heard that McMullon 'does not accept responsibility' and 'still blames her mother for the animosity' between them. Recorder Barker added: 'In general, you are a good and valued person within your community and you are respected by many people who know you.'
