Thomas Powell, 28-year-old of Woburn Way, Eastbourne, has been imprisoned for two years and nine months following a road rage incident involving a machete.
The event occurred on February 18, 2021, when Powell, driving aggressively, tried to overtake another vehicle on Highfield Link in Eastbourne. He aggressively signaled, flashed his lights, and honked at the other driver, even throwing rubbish at the victim’s car while overtaking.
After both vehicles pulled into Burwash Close, Powell got out of his car, hurled verbal abuse at the other driver, and then took a sheathed machete from his car’s boot. He struck the frame of the driver’s door, narrowly missing the victim’s head. As the victim drove away, Powell pursued the vehicle and broke its nearside window with the weapon.
The victim reported the incident at the Eastbourne Police Station. Powell’s DNA, found in saliva on the victim’s car, led to his arrest on February 23 on multiple charges including affray, common assault, criminal damage, and possession of an offensive weapon.
Following a trial in September 2023, Powell was found guilty of threatening a person with a blade in a public place and property damage. He was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on October 30, 2023, to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay a £190 victim surcharge.
