Hollie Dance, the mother of Archie Battersbee, has been sentenced to four years in prison after a court found her guilty of deliberately chasing another motorist off the road, resulting in a serious crash. The 50-year-old, who gained national attention for fighting to keep her son on life support, was convicted of dangerous driving and possessing a banned gas canister.
The Incident
In October 2022, just weeks after Archie's funeral, Dance and her other son, Thomas Summers, 26, engaged in a 12-mile pursuit from Southend to Basildon, Essex. The victim, a chef, called police in a frantic state as Dance's car collided with his Peugeot, forcing it into a tree. Summers then struck the victim with his rental car. The man suffered a fractured and dislocated shoulder and a fractured foot after being ejected from his vehicle.
Speaking to the BBC, the victim said: 'I have never understood why I was targeted that night, and I often find myself overthinking what happened.'
Background
Dance and Summers believed the victim was involved in an earlier attack on a family member, specifically an incident where Dance's daughter was allegedly struck with a bottle. The court heard that Dance had previous convictions, including actual bodily harm in 1996 and a drink-driving offence in 2017.
Archie Battersbee was 12 years old when he suffered catastrophic brain damage in what was believed to be a social media challenge. He spent nearly five months in intensive care before doctors concluded he was brain-stem dead. His parents fought a legal battle to keep his life support, but courts ruled it was not in his best interests. He died in August 2022.
Sentencing
Recorder Peter Clark acknowledged the family's devastating loss but emphasized the unlawful nature of their actions. 'Your response was completely unlawful, you sought revenge,' he told Dance and Summers. 'Two wrongs do not make a right, they never do. This was a determined, persistent, highly dangerous pursuit.'
Summers was sentenced to five years in prison. Dance's barrister described her as someone deeply affected by unimaginable tragedy, noting she had undergone a mental health assessment shortly before the offences. Summers' lawyer argued the chase was a spontaneous reaction, not a planned attack.
