A teenager who deliberately used his car as a weapon to fatally injure a mother-of-three in Cardiff has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 17 years. Kian Bateman, 19, was under the influence of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, when he drove into Shelley Davies and her partner outside the 4th Glamorgan Homeguard Club in Caerau on 27 September last year.
Ms Davies, 38, sustained severe injuries and tragically died in hospital three weeks later, on 18 October. Her partner, David Bratcher, 40, also suffered serious injuries in the incident. Bateman was cleared of the attempted murder of Mr Bratcher but was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent against him, and the murder of Ms Davies.
Cardiff Crown Court heard that the couple had been attending a music event when a disagreement involving Bateman's brother and Mr Bratcher escalated. During the confrontation, Ms Davies ended up on the ground. It was then that Bateman made a split-second decision to accelerate his mother's Seat Ibiza, driving towards Mr Bratcher and, in doing so, running over Ms Davies at approximately 10mph. He then proceeded to hit Mr Bratcher, throwing him over the car's bonnet.
Mrs Justice Stacey noted that Bateman did not stop to offer help or call emergency services, instead abandoning the vehicle. Victim impact statements read in court highlighted the profound devastation caused. Mr Bratcher described watching CCTV footage of the incident as the most traumatic experience of his life, stating that Ms Davies was a 'huge part of our lives, she held our family together'. He now faces the challenge of raising their children without her, feeling 'a constant sense of loss and sadness'.
Ms Davies' 17-year-old daughter, Lilli May Davies, described her mother as her 'best friend' and 'our rock, our glue', expressing the immense difficulty of comprehending life without her. Ms Davies' mother, Sharon Hillard, also spoke of the 'void that can never be filled' within their family. Mrs Justice Stacey acknowledged Bateman's subsequent remorse and that he handed himself in the following day, accepting he did not intend to harm Ms Davies but was aiming to cause serious harm to Mr Bratcher. Bateman will also be banned from driving for 21 years and 109 days.