A man who deliberately drove his car into a group of people and injured two men has been sentenced to seven years in jail at the Old Bailey.
Bristan William, 20, of Park Avenue, Barking, was handed the sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent when a fight broke out between two groups of males; he also admitted to one count of dangerous driving.
He will be disqualified from driving for five years after he is released from prison.
On Tuesday 26 July 2022, at around 10:45pm, a blue BMW was seen pulling up and parking on the pavement opposite Revolution Bar on Leadenhall Street, with William seen walking from the driver’s side of the vehicle towards the bar.
He was later spotted by security cameras leaving the club on his own, going towards the vehicle and was then seen heading east on Leadenhall Street towards a brawl between a group of men in the street at around 11:55pm.
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William drove his car in the direction of the crowd, hitting an unknown man, before doing a three point turn on the road and driving at the group of men, all of whom managed to avoid being hit.
He then made another turn around and drove directly at two men who were trying to flee from the vehicle at the time.
Detective Constable Jon Forster, of the Major Crime Team at the City of London Police, said: “It is through sheer luck that this wasn’t a multiple-fatality incident. William used his vehicle as a weapon, driving several times into people in the street before seriously injuring his victims. He had a number of opportunities to stop to think about what he was doing, but instead he chose to drive his car into the group.
“The CCTV images are shocking, but proved vital in helping us secure a successful prosecution. Thanks to these security images, alongside diligent and methodical police work, this dangerous individual will be off of the streets for a long while.”
One male victim was thrown into the air and hurled against the wall of a building. He was later treated for a dislocated shoulder and a fractured nose and was found to have three separate spinal fractures.
The second victim was thrown across the bonnet of the car and roof, before being propelled 100 yards down the road. He suffered a ruptured ligament in the knee from the impact of the vehicle.
The car went out of sight from CCTV following the attack, but the vehicle was spotted by ANPR camera at 12:16am on 27 July 2022, when William was making his way back to his home address .
Investigating officers were able to trace the car to a site in Wickford, Essex, where the vehicle was recovered and forensically examined. Vehicle debris left at the scene also matched the vehicle.
William was arrested on 4 August 2022 and charged.
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