Mom jailed for mowing down suspected thief in road rage at 86mph

A mother-of-three who mowed down and killed a suspected thief in a revenge hit-and-run rage attack on the street has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Thomas Maguire, 30, suffered fatal injuries when he was pushed off a motorbike by Kerry Fair, 39, in Kingstanding, Birmingham last May.

A court heard Fair reached speeds of 86mph in her Ford Focus to “teach him a lesson” after she believed he stole a motorcycle from her daughter’s home.

She plowed into the Yamaha motorcycle at 40mph along Kings Road before dumping the car with the engine running and fleeing the scene on foot.

Police discovered Fair’s wallet in the front door pocket of the abandoned car and she was arrested shortly after the accident on May 18 last year.

Father-of-seven Mr Maguire was taken to hospital by his friends, where he spent three weeks in critical condition before dying of his injuries on June 9.

He had sustained multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone, vertebrae, hips, ribs and pelvis, and damage to his kidneys, liver and spleen.

Fair, of Kingstanding, was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court and sentenced to 14 years in prison on Tuesday.

Birmingham Judge Melbourne Inman KC told Fair she “took the law into her own hands” and used the car “as a weapon”.

After the case, Mr Maguire’s family released a statement through West Midlands Police.

They said: “Thomas is our first thought in the morning and our last at night, he is loved and missed by all of us.

“Not a day goes by that we don’t miss him. Nobody will ever replace him.

“We miss his crazy ways, the laughter and our crazy talks and having to talk him out.

“We talk about him every day and as the younger kids get older they will always know how proud Thomas was of them and that they bought the softer side of him.

“He took care of his mother and all his family and now we will take care of them, hopefully we can make him proud.

‘Today with his manslaughter conviction and 14-year sentence he gets some justice, rest in peace Thomas.’

The jury heard that Mr Maguire and two others had pulled up in a white Tiguan outside their eldest daughter’s home in Hartley Road, Kingstanding, two hours before the fatal accident.

Two men snuck into the back garden and stole a Yamaha motorcycle belonging to Fair’s daughter’s boyfriend while the third man stood guard outside.

Fair drove towards the house as the thieves fled and did a U-turn before chasing the motorcyclist.

The court heard she was reaching speeds of between 76 and 86 mph shortly before the accident and was also endangering the lives of other road users.

She claimed she “accidentally” collided with Mr Maguire and hit the brake just before impact.

Detective Inspector Michelle Thurgood, from West Midlands Police’s Homicide Team, said: “At the speed she was traveling she was at least reckless in relation to the fact that Thomas would be injured by her actions that night.

“Had Fair made an emergency stop when she realized she was rapidly gaining the bike, the collision could have been avoided entirely, which could inevitably have prevented Thomas from being injured.

“Our thoughts remain with Thomas’s family and I hope today’s verdict can bring them closure.”

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