Mum and daughter terrorised

Kerry Williams describes the events of February 2 as the most frightening experience of her life.

Mrs Williams, 40, of Western Terrace, Cwmfelinfach, had taken her daughter Natasha, 17, out for the afternoon to visit friends in Risca.

She drove them there in a borrowed Nissan 4X4 vehicle, expecting it to be an everyday trip.

But the journey turned into terror - and it still haunts the mother and daughter.

Mrs Williams had stopped in the town's Hill Street to talk to a friend out of her car window when the ordeal began.

Three men in a Ford Fiesta stopped behind her car and one sprang out, armed with a baseball bat.

He started towards her car. Mrs Williams had no idea what was going on.

She said: "I told him: 'Don't come near me'. Natasha was terrified."

Frightened, she drove off - but the man got back into the car and the Fiesta started to chase them, right on their bumper, as they travelled through residential streets in the town.

Mrs Williams turned her car into the main shopping streets through Risca, Commercial Street and them Tredegar Street - which follow on from each other.

The Fiesta menacingly kept pulling alongside her car - two of the men hanging out of the window.

As she drove along they pounded her car with the baseball bat and a plank of wood.

One of the men also kicked out at the bodywork on her car.

Other cars coming in the opposite direction were forced to swerve to avoid a major crash.

Mrs Williams said: "It was really terrifying. I have never been so frightened in all my life.

The most frightening thing happened by the surgery when they pulled up along side of me and hit the windscreen with the bat.

"I thought the window was going to come through.

"They tried to cut me up again and I didn't know whether to ram them with the truck or not. "I was frightened for our lives."

The Fiesta pulled in front of her car, and Mrs Williams' heart was in her mouth as two of them got out and started walking towards her car.

A quick-thinking Mrs Williams pulled out around them. As the Fiesta continued to follow, Natasha called the police on a mobile phone - and they rushed to their aid.

The chase came to an end at the end of Tredegar Street when Mrs Williams flagged down a police car.

The Fiesta had sped off, but Natasha and her mother gave the police detailed descriptions of the men, who were arrested later.

Mrs Williams said: "I'm still suffering now with panic attacks and I'm really bad with my nerves. My daughter is still suffering as well.

"My bank is in Risca, but when I go there I'm constantly looking around."

Lee Davies, aged 19, of Tredegar Street, Stephen Guy, aged 22, of Mill Street, and James Smith, aged 21, of Almond Avenue, all of Risca, were each jailed for three years yesterday at Newport crown court.

Smith had wielded the baseball bat, Davies used the plank of wood, while Guy drove, the court was told.

Smith and Davies had both been drinking vodka all day, the judge heard.

Davies had claimed he believed the vehicle was being driven by a man who owed his girlfriend £25 and he wanted to cause £25 worth of damage.

All three pleaded guilty to affray and criminal damage, being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

Guy pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and Smith pleaded guilty to having an offensive weapon - a dog chain found in his car.

Meirion Davies, defending Guy, said he was not involved through "ill will or malice", but had done what his friends said because of their agitated state.

Roger Osborne, defending Davies, said his client's father had left the family when he was aged six and his mother had multiple sclerosis.

Sentencing the three, Mr Justice Christopher Pitchford KT said he was satisfied each of them knew the person who owed them money was not in the vehicle.

He said: "It is extraordinary and no thanks to any of you that someone either in or out of the vehicle was not seriously injured."

* Pictured: Kerry Williams and her daughter, Natasha