The woman who made a ‘gun gesture’ at BBC radio host, Jeremy Vine, following a road rage incident last July could face a jail sentence. Shanique Syrena Pearson, a student from Vauxhall, was found guilty of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users, and of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. She had previously admitted driving an unlicensed vehicle.
The BBC reports that Pearson has a number of previous convictions, including assaults and theft. She may now face prison as she was already subject to a suspended sentence for causing actual bodily harm and assault in 2012.
Speaking at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court, Judge King said a decision would be made as to whether the suspended sentence “should be activated in whole or in part.”
Vine shared video of the incident on his Facebook page.
Pearson’s defence lawyer, James O’Keeffe, told the court she had been “racially abused and suffered substantially” as a result of the video being posted online.
Addressing Pearson, the judge said: “I have no doubt you intended Mr Vine should believe immediate unlawful violence would be used against him given you made threats to him.”
He added: “You swore, shouted, and refused to allow Mr Vine to respond to points you made, and you placed your hands on his bike.”
He also said that Vine’s manner of cycling “was perfectly appropriate for the conditions.”
Duncan Dollimore, Cycling UK’s Senior Road Safety and Legal Campaigns Officer, said: “Unfortunately, what happened to Jeremy Vine in Kensington last August is something many people riding bikes will have experienced: a driver with scant consideration for their safety who then reacts in an aggressive and threatening manner because they are intolerant of other road users.
“Threatening behaviour is as much an offence on the roads as it is in any other public place. Hopefully the publicity surrounding the Vine incident, and the fact that this has led to Shanique Pearson’s conviction for both driving without reasonable consideration, and using threatening or abusive behaviour, will remind people that cyclists are not obliged to hug the kerb and drive dangerously close to car doors just to allow an impatient driver to overtake them.”
Pearson will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court at a later date.
25 thoughts on “Jeremy Vine road rage driver likely to face jail after being found guilty”
Judge King said a decision
Judge King said a decision would be made as to whether the suspended sentence “should be activated in whole or in part.”
In whole.
She is clearly a repeat offender, no remorse or consideration for others, a blight on society. Bang her up!
alansmurphy wrote:
Car still isn’t taxed! Hasn’t been since June 2016
Vauxhall MT56 ECJ into https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ViewVehicle
Perhaps driving your car at
Perhaps driving your car at someone should also be considered “threatening behaviour” with appropriate punishment, rather than just inconsiderate driving?
She has been tweeting to
She has been tweeting to another cyclist about staying out of her way, whilst still in court!!! The precious little flower………
This is what happens when you
This is what happens when you allow people to grow up moronically stupid and without boundaries or education in what sort of behaviour is expected in a civilised society. She clearly doesn’t understand that her attitude to the rest of the world is inappropriate. So the rest of the world – by enforcing laws – needs to help her understand.
A round of applause from me.
A round of applause from me.
I love this bit from the
I love this bit from the Guardian
Pearson was nine months into a suspended sentence for theft, assault causing actual bodily harm, and resisting arrest at the time of the altercation with Vine. King commited her case to Isleworth crown court for sentencing.
O’Keeffe said Pearson was a single mother and the incident was “out of character in the sense it was unplanned, it was impulsive and it was something which she in her interview with the police is very willing to accept and did accept she was wrong”.
erm it seems very in character…
God help her child, having
God help her child, having that disgrace as a mother… Bang her up, before she does really hurt someone.
So she admits driving a
So she admits driving a vehicle that was “unlicenced” ?? I assume that actually refers to no MOT, and therefore no valid insurance.
Add into that the agressive driving, abusive behavious, threats and physical attack.
That’s not “out of character” that’s clearly an idication of someone with little to no regard for the laws of the land in relation to driving around other human beings.
I’m unsure jail is right though, as that could have detrimental effects on the (so far) innocent child, however the right to drive a motorised vehicle should be removed, and the should be forced (under armed guard if that’s what it takes) to undergo a cycle training prrogram along with the truck drivers in central London.
StuInNorway wrote:
I can’t help but wonder whether the effect would be detrimental in the long term?
Quite stunningly awful behaviour, and I’m at a loss why they even have to consider whether to fully activate the suspended sentence… 😕
StuInNorway wrote:
they should make her ride a bike for her rehabilitation
that may change her attitude when she meets like minded people as her who have trouble with, as she quoted, “you lot”
StuInNorway wrote:
I would chance my arm and say that jail for her could have a positive effect on the innocent child…
There is someone getting busy
There is someone getting busy on twitter as @shaniquepearso2 I can’t work out if its a parody account but mouthing off that she’ll be back driving anyway. From the level of grammar and spelling it fits with the actions of the woman above!
Jan 2017. Follwed Dep Digital
Joined Jan 2017. Follwed Dep Digital News Editor for the Sun.
Parody account trying to hook some tabloids.
In a way, the real victims
In a way, the real victims here are publications like the Daily Mail. It must be a conundrum figuring out how to report on this story. On the one hand, to them Jeremy Vine is a member of the muesli-munching liberal elite, a friend of luvvies, and a cyclist; whereas Shanique Sheena Pearson is a motorist, therefore a consumer, and so on the face of it more worthy. On the other hand many of their readership, while no fans of cyclists themselves, would regard her as not properly British and so would automatically side with Mr. Vine. Then again, he did film her, which strikes fear into their hearts, of being publicly shamed themselves if they were to be caught driving aggressively, as they feel is their right as decreed by the Sainted Jeremy of Clarkson. However, she is a single mother, probably on benefits, therefore inherently unworthy in their eyes. But yet another angle is that, as an employee of their sworn enemy the BBC, provider of free-in-every-sense news, he is as much of a “enemy to the people” as any High Court judge. Her criminal record probably tips it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are snappers following Jeremy Vine every day in the hope of getting a shot of him riding through a red light, so they can do a “BBC’s Vine is a HYPOCRITE” story.
handlebarcam wrote:
My doctor says if I read the Mail for ten minutes each day I’ll know exactly how it feels to have a stroke.
mike the bike wrote:
My doctor says if I read the Mail for ten minutes each day I’ll know exactly how it feels to have a stroke.— handlebarcam
Is he trying to treat you for low blood pressure?
handlebarcam wrote:
Never thought I would feel sorry for the Daily Mail, but now you put it like that I can see (once I wiped the tears of laughter from my eyes!) what a dilemma they face.
Should be locked up for being
Should be locked up for being called Shanique…….dreadful name !!
Gourmet Shot wrote:
The Freakonomics book has a chapter about black children in America being disadvantaged seemingly by their name alone. I’m not sure whether the story or your post is a better example of that.
vonhelmet wrote:
Bill Cosby famously doesn’t like modern black names either. He prefers ones like Sleeping Beauty.
On a serious note she needs sending down, she’s obviously unrepentant given her mid trial tweets and has plenty of previous. Having a child isn’t a get out of jail free card.
vonhelmet wrote:
You appear to have misunderstood that chapter of Freakonomics, whether by accident or otherwise.
What Freakonomics does show is that the assertion that black children in America are disadvantaged by their name alone is largely false. They are far more likely to be disadvantaged by their socio-economic upbringing with their name only potentially disadvantaging them in finding employment due to discrimination by others on their name alone.
I noticed that part of her
I noticed that part of her defence was that Mr Vine had claimed that she made a gun gesture with her hand, and that she says she didn’t, and this was him being racist. WTF???
brooksby wrote:
I had a look at the DM today and hada brief read of the article about this and one of the pictures with the article shows her hand with her index finger pointing and fingers curled slightly which could be taken as a gun gesture in the heat of the moment.
Bloody student. Don’t know
Bloody student. Don’t know how she affords a car in the first place.