A university student was left with serious injuries after a BMW driver reversed into her while she waited for a taxi outside a pub in Wythenshawe. The incident, which occurred on April 12, 2021, left the woman with a fractured pelvis, broken collarbone, and fractured shoulder, as well as swelling to her eye and right side of her body.
Details of the Incident
Ben Collins, 38, had been driving his BMW near the Cornishman pub in Wythenshawe. He parked on the road outside the pub and got out for a short period before returning to the driver's seat. At 'almost the same moment,' an unidentified man wearing a balaclava entered the front passenger seat, according to Minshull Street Crown Court.
Collins claimed at trial that the man began assaulting him, causing him to 'inadvertently' put the car into reverse and accelerate. However, a jury rejected this defense and found his actions were deliberate. Collins reversed 'at speed,' mounting the side bank of the pavement and hitting the woman, who was waiting for a taxi.
Impact on the Victim
The woman, a university student, was left unable to submit her dissertation, delaying her studies by a year. She was bed-bound for a week and rarely left her home for two months, except to visit her partner. By January 2022, her physical pain had healed, but she reported ongoing psychological trauma, feeling anxious in public spaces.
Legal Outcome
Collins fled the scene after the crash, crashing the car shortly afterward and escaping on foot. He was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after a trial concluded earlier this year. Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones stated: 'In the moment you made a deliberate decision to drive in the way that you did, reversing deliberately at speed and bringing your vehicle into collision.'
The court heard Collins had previous convictions for driving under the influence of drugs in 2019 and 2023, the latter occurring after the Wythenshawe crash. Despite this, the judge imposed a two-year and four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, citing a 'realistic prospect of rehabilitation.' Collins, who lives with and supports his parents, was ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work, 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement. He was also banned from driving for three years and must take an extended re-test before driving again.
The judge noted lengthy delays in the case, which the defense attributed to the prosecution.
