Tracey Ann Hart was taken on a terrifying ride down Margate High Street. Picture posed by model

by Paul Hooper

A woman was taken on a terror ride through Margate streets – clinging onto the outside of her furious partner's car with her arm trapped inside through the window.

Tracey Ann Hart had put her hand inside Shaun Abbott's Saab after a row over his text messages to a love rival.

But the 42-year-old electrical engineer triggered the electric window, wedging her arm inside... before setting off down Margate High Street.

During the frightening journey, Ms Hart held on to the car "for dear life" as Abbott forced other cars to avoid hitting her.

Then, near Eaton Road, he drove around a roundabout at 30mph the wrong way – forcing another motorist to "slam on his brakes" to avoid a collision.

Now Abbott, of Mayfield Road, Herne Bay, has been jailed for a year after a judge told him he had been "monumentally stupid".

"this was a monumentally, stupid and reckless act which could have resulted in her sustaining more serious injuries..." – judge simon james

Judge Simon James said: "This could have resulted in really serious injuries. This must have been a truly terrifying ordeal for your victim.

"Whatever high emotions were running and whatever the provocation, you used your car as a weapon. This was a gratuitous degradation of your victim."

Prosecutor John O'Higgins told how the couple had been in a relationship for seven years and had gone to a pub in Margate High Street in May last year.

Abbott had downed two glasses of cider before meeting up with his girlfriend and they decided to order a takeaway meal from a restaurant nearby.

Mr O'Higgins said as they waited, Margate resident Ms Hart noticed Abbott texting a girl called Jemma on his mobile phone and the pair began arguing.

Abbott stormed off and sat in his locked car as his lover demanded he hand over her keys and mobile phone.

"The window was retracted to about a third of the way down and she reached inside the car to retrieve her items," added Mr O'Higgins.

The prosecutor said the electric window was then closed - "effectively jamming her arm inside" - and he began driving away.

"Initially she was forced to walk backwards as the car travelled at walking pace and she managed to use a mobile phone to dial 999," he added.

Abbott then speeded up forcing Ms Hart to lift her feet as he drove down the road – forcing other cars to avoid hitting her.

Anthony and Sian Boyce, who were travelling in a car towards a roundabout, watched in horror as the Saab, with a woman hanging onto the side, drove around the roundabout the wrong way.

Mrs Boyce later told officers she saw the woman "in a crouching position to prevent her feet from dragging" as the vehicle travelled at 30mph.

Abbott, who admitted driving dangerously and assault, eventually stopped the car and Ms Hart suffered "a number" of injuries to her arms, the court heard.

The couple have since ended their relationship and Abbott claimed he had just "wanted to get away from her".

Bethan Charnley, defending, said: "This offence occurred at the end of a difficult and fraught relationship. He has now moved on and has formed a new relationship.

"He accepts that this was a stupid thing that he did but it was not his primary intention to cause her harm – but he accepts that was what happened. He is normally a sensible hard-working person."

Abbott was banned from driving for two years after Judge James told him: "You drove for a significant distance with Ms Hart hanging on for dear life.

"This was a monumentally, stupid and reckless act which could have resulted in her sustaining more serious injuries but I accept this was not a premeditated act."