Woman admits ploughing car into Coventry mental health unit

A 41-year-old woman has admitted a string of charges after ploughing her car into a Coventry mental health unit, through two sets of security doors and 50 yards down a corridor.



Sharon Metcalfe, of Bramble Street, Stoke, smashed the car into the Caludon Centre, in the grounds of Coventry’s University Hospital, on the afternoon of Saturday April 2.

At Coventry Crown Court yesterday, Metcalfe pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving, damaging property being reckless as to whether life was endangered and driving after consuming alcohol.

The court heard how the green Citroen was driven between security bollards at the front of the hospital before smashing through two sets of automatic entrance doors and screeching through the foyer where staff were working behind the reception counter, shop counter and pharmacy.

Tens of thousands of pounds of damage was caused in the incident.

Prosecuting, Madhu Rai said: “I present this case as a deliberate act of driving and being reckless and that only she could have taken these actions.”

Sentencing was adjourned in order for a psychiatric report to be prepared on Metcalfe.

Luckily no-one was injured and the car was ground to a halt where the corridor becomes narrow and leads to in-patient wards.

Shocked members of staff on the wards immediately called the emergency services and evacuated everyone from the building.

At the time, hospital bosses said they were thankful no-one had been injured or even killed in the incident.

Since then, repairs have been carried out and services have returned to normal at the centre, in Walsgrave.

The Caludon Centre, which is run by the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, was built five years ago.

It houses more than a hundred mental health patients and those with learning disabilities.

Metcalfe was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at Coventry Crown Court on Friday, July 29.

A woman has been jailed for deliberately crashing her car into Coventry’s University Hospital's busy reception area.



One terrified visitor fled for his life as Sharon Metcalfe ploughed her Citroen through three sets of doors and 50 metres down a corridor.

Coventry Crown Court heard Metcalfe had been discharged as a patient at the Caludon Centre, the mental health unit in the grounds of the Walsgrave hospital, two weeks before the crash.

She had called NHS staff in desperation hours before the drama on April 2 to warn them of ‘‘suicidal plans’’ to crash her car.

She was told she needed to sober up before they could give her further advice, the court heard.

The judge described her botched suicide attempt – which caused £46,000 damage – as “selfish and wicked”.

Metcalfe, aged 41, of Bramble Street, Stoke, was jailed for two years and four months yesterday for drink driving, dangerous driving and damaging property being reckless as to whether life was endangered.