Jealous businesswoman whose cats were in Coronation Street knocked down boyfriend and his puppy

A wealthy businesswoman whose cats appeared in Coronation Street was jailed for 18 months today after she ploughed into her boyfriend and his pet DOG in a jealous rage.

Crazed Catherine Pegg, 47, mowed down Martin Weeds, 40, in her Land Rover after he stormed out of a pub carrying his pet Akita puppy Luna.

Before the collision, witnesses heard Pegg accuse Mr Weeds of having an affair before screaming at him, “If you want her you can have her but don’t come back to me.”

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Minutes later Pegg drove at Mr Weeds after he left the Red Lion pub in the village of Polesworth, near Tamworth, Staffs., at 8.30pm on May 15 this year.

Mr Weeds spent two weeks fighting for his life after suffering a punctured lung, fractured ribs, damaged spleen and liver.

Pegg was found not guilty of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent but was convicted of dangerous driving.

Yesterday she was jailed for 18 months and slapped with a five year driving ban at Birmingham Crown Court.

The couple had been in a relationship for 12 months and Mr Weeds had recently moved in with Pegg at her £600,000 farmhouse in Austrey, Atherstone, Warks.

During the four-day trial Mr Weeds described the moment Pegg ploughed into him after she accused him of cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend.

He told the jury: “I had a phone call off my ex-partner which caused trouble.

“She drove past then she came back down the road. She came at me and then swung around in front of me.

“We carried on with the argument again. It was still about the ex-partner. She was just shouting. I told her to leave me alone and I walked off.

“She reversed off the pavement. It (the Land Rover) was facing towards the junction where I was stood. I assumed it was going straight on.

“I seen (sic) her coming towards me. I assumed she was going to swing around in front of me like she had done the two previous times.

“She hit me. I was knocked to the floor. I was in the road. I couldn’t breathe.

“There was a lot of people stood around me, they were trying to make me comfortable.”

Earlier the court was told how the couple, who lived together at Pegg’s 80-acre farm where she bred wedding horses, had a “volatile” relationship.

Speaking after the case, Angela Millington, Senior Crown Prosecutor from West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The victim and the defendant, Catherine Pegg, were involved in a turbulent relationship.

“What started off as a quiet evening out, ended up with a man sustaining serious injuries and a jury today finding Catherine Pegg found guilty of dangerous driving.”

Ten years ago Pegg shot to fame when her cats Pandora and Smokey Joe became the stars of the revamped opening titles of Coronation Street.