Newtown man Donovan Kenyon’s terrifying pursuit of sister’s ex-boyfriend

A road rage incident turned ugly when a Newtown man forced the victim off the road and tried to run him over.

Donovan Kenyon pursued his sister's ex-boyfriend over several local roads between the Geelong CBD and Corio. Picture: Facebook.

A man told a court he feared for his life when the brother of his ex-girlfriend forced him off the road and tried to run him over.

Newtown man Donovan Kenyon, 23, pursued the man across local streets between the Geelong CBD and Coio in an attempt to chase him off the road and into a concrete median strip.

During the terrifying May 2021 incident, Kenyon threw items at the man’s car through his window and nudged the rear bumper.

When he succeeded in running the man off the road and into a sign, Kenyon turned around and attempted to run the man down.

The court heard the victim had recently ended a long-term relationship with Kenyon’s sister prior to this offending.

Kenyon contested the charges of reckless conduct endangering life, driving in a manner dangerous and careless driving during a hearing at the Geelong Magistrates Court late last week.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 months behind bars, with a non-parole period of nine months, on Friday morning.

Donovan Kenyon was jailed for 15 months for the terrifying road rage incident. Picture: Facebook

The victim said he was driving home from the Geelong CBD when he noticed a car first drive past him and then slow to sit behind him.

He told the court Kenyon sat “literally centimetres away from the rear of my vehicle” for about 300 or 400 metres.

Kenyon sped up beside the man at one point and tried to force him to hit the concrete median strip, causing the man to slam on his brakes.

After running through a red light at the Cox Rd intersection, Kenyon hit the back of the man’s car, forcing him to lose traction on the wet road, slide over the median strip and collide into a pole.

As the victim got out of the car, he said he watched as Kenyon did a U-turn and “proceeded to drive at him”.

The man said he had to jump out of the way to avoid him.

A neighbour who heard the crash came out to investigate, which the man said spooked Kenyon into fleeing the scene.

After hearing from Kenyon’s mother, who works as a nurse at the University Geelong hospital, Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said it was an “appalling irony” that Kenyon “may very well end up there on a gurney because of his terrible driving”.

Mr Lethbridge added it was “simply through good luck rather than good management” that no one was killed.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, Kenyon was disqualified from driving for four years.

Originally published as Newtown man Donovan Kenyon’s terrifying pursuit of sister’s ex-boyfriend