Father and Son Cleared of Murder in Drink-Fuelled Crash That Killed Four-Year-Old
A father and son have been found not guilty of murder following a drink-fuelled high-speed collision that resulted in the death of a four-year-old relative. Owen Maughan, 27, and his father Patrick Maughan, 54, were acquitted of murder charges at Maidstone Crown Court in Kent after jurors deliberated for more than seventeen hours.
Tragic Incident on New Barn Road
The fatal incident occurred on June 1 last year on New Barn Road in Southfleet, Kent, just before 9:30 PM. Owen Maughan, driving a Ford Ranger Wildtrak, deliberately rammed another Ford Ranger Wildtrak driven by Lovell Mahon at approximately 60 miles per hour. The impact caused the vehicle to rotate out of control and roll up to three times.
Four-year-old Peter Maughan, affectionately known as Peter Rabbit by loved ones, was ejected from the rear seat of his parents' vehicle. He sustained severe and devastating injuries to his head, chest, and abdomen, which were described as unsurvivable even with immediate medical attention. Some injuries bore characteristics reminiscent of tyre tread marks, possibly consistent with being run over or crushed during the roll-over.
Family Members Escaped with Injuries
Peter's father, Lovell Mahon, was also ejected from the vehicle and suffered multiple fractures and brain trauma, leaving him paralysed and unlikely to walk again. Miraculously, Peter's mother Hayley Maughan and his one-year-old sister Annarica escaped with only minor injuries. The family had been returning home to Southfleet after visiting Pepe's restaurant in Maidstone when the pursuit began.
Drinking Session Preceded the Chase
The court heard that Owen and Patrick Maughan had been on their way home to Darenth in Kent after a six-hour drinking session in Rochester. During this session, they consumed as many as twenty-five bottles and pints of lager between them. The prosecution alleged that both defendants were "in a fury" and had aggressively pursued the Mahon family along the A2.
Prosecutors claimed Owen Maughan used his truck as a weapon while being actively encouraged by his father. Evidence presented included video and audio recordings made by Hayley Maughan on her phone, capturing several minutes of alleged harassment and terror. Lorry dashcam footage also showed about three minutes of the chase, with vehicles changing lanes, braking heavily, and pulling alongside each other.
Defendants' Actions After the Crash
Instead of stopping to help after the collision, the defendants sped away from what the prosecution called "the carnage they had created." They drove through debris scattered on the road, with a child's pushchair that had fallen from the rammed truck wedged under their chassis. The pair stopped briefly so Patrick Maughan could rip off the front number plate, allegedly to cover their tracks.
They then continued to Plantation Road in Hextable, where they abandoned their visibly damaged Ranger. Owen Maughan fled to Manchester, while his father went to his sister's home in Berkshire. Both were arrested within two days, with Owen returning to Kent to hand himself in on June 2 and Patrick being detained on June 3 after officers found him heavily intoxicated in bed.
Courtroom Testimony and Defence Arguments
During the three-week trial, Owen Maughan accepted responsibility for Peter's death but denied intending to cause serious harm. He told the court that when he clipped the vehicle driven by Lovell Mahon, he simply wanted to "nudge" it and never meant for the tragic consequences to unfold. He maintained that his father was not responsible in any way.
Owen Maughan admitted that during a call with Hayley's brother Jason, he had threatened, "I'm going to ram them" just seconds before a clunking noise was heard and the phone line disconnected. However, he denied ever adding, "We don't give a f***," as alleged by the prosecution.
Jury's Verdicts and Sentencing
The jury acquitted both defendants of murder and also cleared them of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to Lovell Mahon, as well as two offences of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Hayley and Annarica. However, Patrick Maughan was found guilty of Peter's manslaughter and inflicting GBH to Mr Mahon. These were charges his son had previously admitted, along with causing serious injury by dangerous driving to Mr Mahon.
Judge Oliver Saxby remanded both men back into custody pending sentencing, noting that he needed more information about their backgrounds and motivations before passing what he described as "lengthy" sentences. He thanked the jury for their care in what he called an "upsetting case" and remarked on the dignity shown by those present in support of both victims and defendants.
Technical Evidence and Restraint Issues
The court heard that none of the seatbelts or child seat restraints in Mr Mahon's Wildtrak were in use at the time of the collision. The attached harnesses were at their minimum setting for the smallest of children. A forensic collision expert stated that the force used in the impact "probably fell" between minor and moderate.
It was revealed that Mr Mahon's Ranger's restraint control modules were activated but not as a result of the impact from the defendants' vehicle itself. Similarly, the collision did not activate the RCM on Owen Maughan's Wildtrak.
Defence Arguments and Closing Statements
Defence barrister Tyrone Smith argued there was no "direct evidence" of his client Owen Maughan's intent when he hit the other Wildtrak. He asserted that what was in everyone's minds when they turned into New Barn Road was simply "an anticipation of a fist fight in the traditional traveller way."
Charles Langley, representing Patrick Maughan, said the prosecution had not produced any direct evidence that his client said or did anything in encouragement of his son. He argued that neither "mere presence" nor circumstantial evidence were enough to convict him, suggesting that Owen Maughan's decision to ram may have been a "split second" one in which Patrick Maughan had no time to encourage or foresee what happened.
The verdicts were returned with Peter's parents sitting in court for the first time during the trial. Both Owen and Patrick Maughan will be sentenced at a later date for the offences of which they were convicted.
