Dogsey

Kerry Barlow, a cat lover from the Lleyn Peninsula, has been given five years in prison after repeatedly trying to hit two dog walkers with a car. Kerry Barlow had turned her home into an animal sanctuary, and had "completely lost it" when she tried to mow down mother and daughter Denise Roberts (52) and Donna (29) - months earlier, Kerry's cat was 'picked up' by Donna's terrier, Tyson - the cat had to be put down.

Kerry complained to the police, but nothing was done so she took out a complaint against the police as she felt she was ignored. But then when the two women walked past her home with their dog and, according to Kerry, Tyson chased another cat, she followed them up the road in her Ford Fiesta.

Denise and Donna say they have been traumatised by what happened and have since moved away from the area. Kerry admitted dangerous driving but denied attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Mrs Roberts and Donna, who were her near neighbours.

The judge said, after hearing Kerry believed another cat was chased by Tyson:

“That belief triggered off in you an uncontrollable rage."

"You decided to follow them and teach them a lesson.”

“You were fed up with them, you were fed up with the police who you thought were not taking you seriously, and simply decided to take the law into your own hands."

“Once you found them you drove at them at speed, deliberately steering onto the grass verge in order to hit them."

“You looked angry, gripped the steering wheel, stared straight ahead, not taking your eyes off the two women.”

In this, the fourth attempt to hit the two women, Denise was hit by the car, landed on the road and hit her head on the tarmac. Donna's leg was grazed and two dogs were run over and were yelping in pain. Kerry Barlow then proceeded to continue manoeuvring the car , attempting to hit the women. When Denise tried to get Barlow out of the car to stop her, she reached for an axe, shouting and threatening to kill them both. When the two women tried to escape over a gate, Barlow drove at it and Mrs Roberts was knocked into a field.

Barlow was said to live in isolation, suffer from mental health problems and prefer the company of animals to people after “historic physical abuse”, and saw herself as the victim. However, the judge warned her that if one of the victims had died, she would have been facing a life sentence.

Story by Azz