A MUM found her four-year-old son dead on the ground when he was flung from a car after his cousin “rammed” them, a court heard.
Owen Maughan, 27, allegedly downed 25 beers at a pub with dad Patrick Maughan before murdering little Peter in the crash in Dartford, Kent.
Jurors heard Owen, who was behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger pick-up truck, saw his cousin Hayley Maughan being driven by her partner Lovell Mahon.
The couple’s children Peter, four, and one-year-old Annarica Maughan were also in the vehicle at the time.
Maidstone Crown Court was told for “reasons that weren’t and aren’t clear”, Owen and Patrick began pursuing the family “in a fury”.
Owen then allegedly clipped Lovell’s pick-up at 60mph – causing it to flip on the A2 and Peter to be flung from the car.
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Jurors were told Hayley had checked the back seat following the crash but her son was not inside the vehicle.
She then found the tragic youngster face down in some grass and screamed for help.
Peter suffered severe and devastating injuries” to his head, chest and abdomen leaving him no chance of survival.
Lovell had serious injuries including a skull fracture and it is unlikely he will walk again, jurors were told.
The court heard Owen and his dad had been at two pubs in Rochester, Kent, before they came across the family in June last year.
The court heard that as the dad and son hurled abuse, Owen’s driving became more erratic.
Hayley filmed video clips of the pair chasing them and left a voice note for her mother Erica saying she was afraid.
As both pick-up trucks left the A2, the court heard both Owen and Patrick were still “in a fury” and “very angry at the occupants of Lovell’s vehicle.”
Jurors were told Lovell tried to signal there were children in the car and offered to go to the Maughans’ house to resolve the situation.
But the plea was ignored by Owen, who had called Hayley’s brother Jason on the phone to say that he was going to ram the other truck, it is alleged.
The court heard he then drove into the wrong lane and clipped the back of the car at 60mph – causing it to roll over.
After the crash, Patrick and Owen Maughan drove off – only pausing for the dad to allegedly pull the registration plate off the truck.
Prosecutor Richard Jory KC said the action was “a deliberate ramming at high speed”, and that Owen had “used his car as a weapon to ram the other vehicle off the road”.
In her police interview, Hayley said: “They chased us. We were in fear for our life. We begged them. We told them that the children was in the motor.
“I knew he was gonna do it. You’re not stupid… you’re in fear for your life. You’ve got that gut feeling, don’t you?”
Asked why she was in fear for their lives, she said because Patrick and Owen kept following them and it was a “mother’s instinct” when your children are in the car you think “we’re gonna be in a car crash”.
Also asked if she believed it was deliberate or accidental, the mum added: “This is a terrible accident what happened, but it’s not an accident – it’s deliberate.”
Mr Jory said the prosecution case is “slightly unusual” but is a case of murder, which both Patrick and Owen deny.
Owen has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and inflicting grievous bodily harm on Lovell.
Patrick disputes encouraging or assisting his son – with the main issue in the case being their state of mind at the time of the incident, jurors heard.
The trial continues.
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