FOLLOWING an incident which took place on North Road, Cardigan, a local gardener, Charlotte Finley, has been found guilty of reversing her car deliberately into a parked taxi, causing significant damage and narrowly avoiding injuring the taxi driver.

The event occurred at 10.30 pm on June 4 last year, leaving the local community in disbelief.

Captured by CCTV outside a nearby shop, the footage reveals Finley, 37, from St Dogmaels, reversing not once, but three times into the taxi.

The final manoeuvre, executed with alarming speed and apparent intent, came perilously close to hitting the taxi driver, who had just exited his vehicle. The damage inflicted on the taxi is estimated at £500.

The confrontation escalated when the taxi owner approached Finley, only to be met with the assertion, “you are not in the taxi rank,” before she executed her final, forceful reverse. Witnesses and CCTV footage corroborated the sequence of events that unfolded on the quiet street.

Presented before Swansea Crown Court this Wednesday, Finley pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and criminal damage. Her barrister, Jonathan Tarrant, highlighted Finley’s isolated social circumstances and pressures as mitigating factors, insisting that alcohol was not a contributing factor.

Despite having ten previous convictions, including criminal damage and two instances of drink-driving, Finley received a sentence that reflected her immediate admission of guilt.

His Honour Judge Geraint Walters sentenced her to eight months in prison for the dangerous driving charge and two months for criminal damage, both suspended for two years. In addition to being disqualified from driving for a year, Finley must also retake her driving test, pay a £114 victim surcharge, complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and undergo 20 days of rehabilitation activities.

Judge Walters, addressing Finley, emphasized the gravity of her actions and the potential consequences of violating the court’s orders, stating, “If you breach the order you will end up serving the sentence.”

This case serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of reckless behaviour on our roads and the judiciary’s commitment to upholding public safety.