Father and Son Jailed for Deliberately Ramming Vehicle That Killed 4-Year-Old and Paralyzed His Father

A man along with his son has been jailed for deliberately ramming their family’s car at a speed of 60 mph, which resulted in the death of a 4-year-old child, Peter Maughan. The act also paralyzed the child's father, Lovell Mahon.

The accused, identified as Owen Maughan, 27, along with his father, Patrick Maughan, 54, both present in the vehicle, have been sentenced to 12 years and 18 years in prison, respectively. They were charged in connection with the manslaughter of Peter Maughan.

The father and son pair of Hill Rise, Darenth Kent, were also sentenced for inflicting grievous bodily harm on the victim’s father, Lovell Mahon.

Mahon was driving the family car and suffered serious injuries, including a skull fracture, and he will never be able to walk again.

Peter Maughan, the 4-year-old victim, was thrown from the pickup truck and died of “severe and devastating injuries” to his head, chest, stomach and abdomen on June 1, 2025, on New Barn Road, Dartford, Kent.

During the sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, Judge Oliver Saxby KC said lives had been “irretrievably shattered by what you did” in “selfish” anger.

He told Owen Maughon, “You were angry he had not stopped and wanted to teach him a lesson. This was no nudge as you claimed in evidence. You were never going to stop. You didn’t care what happened to Mahon and his family. We don't give a f--- as you have put it."

The father and son duo were cleared of murder at a trial in February 2026. Owen Maughan had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his cousin’s son, Peter Maughan. The jury convicted Patrick Maughan of manslaughter.

The Jury also heard that the pair had been drinking in Rochester earlier that day, consuming about 12 bottles of beer and three pints, respectively, before driving their Ford Ranger pickup truck home.

They came across a similar vehicle and pulled up alongside it, leading to shouting between the two cars. Both Maughan's were “terrorizing” and “chasing” the other car along the A2 in Kent for several miles. Owen Maughan drove into the wrong lane on the approach to a blind bend and clipped the Ford pickup truck at about 60 mph, causing the vehicle to roll over three times, the court heard.

The 4-year-old victim was in the back of the car with his 1-year-old sister, while their mother, Maughan’s cousin, was in the front passenger seat next to Lovell Mahon.

It was pointed out during the trial that the victim’s mother saw Peter face down in the grass and scream for help.

A statement from Mahon read in court described how difficult life was without his son, who was in a wheelchair. “Life will never be the same,” he said.