Archie Battersbee’s mother and brother jailed for violent 13-mile revenge car chase

30 May 2026 , 13:33

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Archie Battersbee’s mother and brother jailed for violent 13-mile revenge car chase

The mother and brother of Archie Battersbee have been jailed for a revenge attack in which they chased a motorist off the road and into a tree.

Hollie Dance, 50, and Archie’s older brother Thomas Summers, 26, pursued the victim in separate cars for 13 miles from Westcliff-on-Sea to Basildon, Essex, before forcing the victim’s vehicle into a tree.

The incident occurred in October 2022, two months after her son’s life support was switched off, and weeks after Dance buried her son.

Dance and Summers have now been jailed for four years and five years respectively for their involvement in the attack.

Archie Battersbee was 12 when he died after a High Court battle in 2022.

He had been found unconscious with a ligature around his head. An inquest later ruled this was the result of a "prank or experiment" gone wrong.

The case sparked a national debate, with Dance arguing against turning off her son’s life support.

The victim, a chef, suffered injuries including a fractured shoulder and foot.

Mitigating for Dance, Bibi Ihuomah said an expert described Dance as "a woman whose life had been profoundly damaged by a terrible event".

He added, "The night before the offenses she had been assessed regarding her mental health status."

Prosecutor Richard Scott said the pair believed the victim had been involved in a bottling incident in which "another member of their family had been hurt."

The pair drove to Meteor Road in Westcliff near Southend-on-Sea after Dance’s daughter had falsely accused the victim of attacking her with a bottle.

Dance followed him in her BMW along the A127 to Basildon, while Summers followed in a rented Toyota.

In a statement in court, the victim said: "I have never understood why I was targeted that night, and I often find myself overthinking what happened," he said in a statement.

Dance pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. She was also found guilty of possessing a prohibited weapon - a gas canister.

Summers pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was also found guilty of affray.

James Smith

Editor-in-Chief