A woman who ran over a Tesco employee in a car park just two days before Christmas has been jailed for three years and two months.

Lucy Turner was behind the wheel of a Citroen C3 which was filmed driving erratically in the Rickmansworth supermarket car park on December 23 last year.

After being accused of theft at the Tesco Turner, 32, mowed down employee Danielle Wood who tried to stop her fleeing the scene.

Ms Wood - in her 20s - suffered a serious back injury and has not been able to return to work. Footage of Turner's dangerous driving was widely shared on social media.
Lucy Turner has been jailed for three years and two months (
Image:
hertfordshire constabulary)
A Tesco member of staff is at the scene (
Image:
Facebook)

At St Albans Crown Court Turner, of Borehamwood, pleaded guilty to

  • Attempted theft (from Tesco in Rickmansworth)
  • Causing serious injury by dangerous driving
  • Use of a motor vehicle on a road/public place without third party insurance
  • Driving whilst disqualified
  • Being the driver of a vehicle that failed to stop after a collision

  • Being the driver of a vehicle that failed to stop after a collision and failing to report the collision

The court heard Turner was the getaway driver as her accomplices - a man and woman - stole £174 worth of alcohol.

Ms Wood, 26, said she was "petrified" as the car drove at her at between 35mph and 40mph, the BBC reported.

"I was in agony. I knew I had broken my back. I was screaming 'My back, my back!'" she said.
Turner 'callously' used the car as a weapon, the court was told (
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south bedsnews agency_sbna_fairl)
Danielle Wood has not been able to return to work and has had to postpone her wedding (
Image:
south bedsnews agency_sbna_fairl)

In the video one shopper can be heard yelling "get out of the car" while others tell Turner to stay inside the vehicle.

One man repeatedly bashes a trolley against the driver side front door.

The driver - Turner - eventually manages to create an exit route by ramming other parked vehicles out of the way.
The car is rammed by bystanders armed with trolleys (
Image:
Facebook)
One of the group rams the driver-side door with a trolley in an attempt to stop the car (
Image:
Facebook)

Detective Constable Rob King, from the Three Rivers Local Crime Unit, said: “The fact this incident happened the last weekend prior to Christmas meant the supermarket car park was even busier than usual.

“Turner showed complete disregard for the shoppers’ safety and only thought about herself when she chose to drive that car in such a dangerous manner.

"The victim bravely tried to intervene but Turner callously used the vehicle as a weapon, causing the victim to fall to the ground and suffer a serious injury to her back.
Bystanders bang on the windows of the blue Citroen (
Image:
Facebook)
A man brandishing what seems to be a metal bar watches on as the car makes its escape (
Image:
Facebook)

“Distressing footage of the incident was shared on social media at the time of the incident and the local community showed great concern for the victim.

"I am pleased with today’s sentence and I hope it begins to give the victim and her family some closure, enabling them to move forward with their lives.”

Turner also pleaded guilty to two separate incidents: a theft from Tesco in Pinner on December 23, where she stole alcohol, and a theft from the Co-op in Borehamwood on December 24, where she stole two containers of baby milk formula.