A driver left a 'trail of carnage' after deliberately targeting pedestrians in a series of racist and homophobic attacks across London's West End on Christmas Day, the Old Bailey heard on Monday.
Anthony Gilheaney, 30, was described as 'beside himself with rage' when he left a nightclub in the early hours of December 25 last year, jurors were told. His violent spree resulted in five pedestrians being struck by his car, with one victim, 25-year-old Aidan Chapman, suffering fatal brain damage and dying in hospital on New Year's Eve.
A Drink-Fuelled Rage Unleashed
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC, opening the trial, stated that Gilheaney's actions were not inexplicable but were 'borne out of a drink-fuelled rage'. The court heard that after leaving the club, Gilheaney, who was drunk, got into an argument and punched a stranger before launching an unprovoked attack on a Sikh man, Hardeep Singh, on Shaftesbury Avenue.
He then got into his car and began shouting racist abuse at another man, Arif Khan, calling him a slur. When Mr Khan confronted him in Archer Street, Gilheaney drove at him, knocking him down, before getting out and kicking him on the ground.
Mr Singh and his friends then intervened, beating Gilheaney up. The entire incident was captured on the dashcam of Uber driver Hasan Mashood, whose path was blocked. 'Unbelievably,' Mr Aylett said, Gilheaney then reversed hard into Mr Mashood's car, ramming it a second time when the Uber driver tried to escape.
Deliberate Targeting of Gay Couple
Now in a furious state, Gilheaney turned his attention to pedestrians in Great Windmill Street. The prosecution suggested this was a homophobic attack when he targeted two men who were holding hands. The couple, who had attended Midnight Mass, tried to flee across the road.
'He drove at them and one of them was knocked to the ground,' Mr Aylett told the jury. 'As he bent down to tend to his partner, the defendant deliberately drove at him as well.'
Moving onto Shaftesbury Avenue, Gilheaney's driving became utterly uncontrolled. He 'suddenly careered onto the other side of the road' where Adrian Chapman and his friend Tyrone Itorho were crossing. Mr Chapman was hit full-on, suffering catastrophic injuries from which he never recovered.
Aftermath and Arrest
In total, six people – the five victims and Mr Mashood – were taken to hospital that night as a result of Gilheaney's actions. Following the attacks, police spotted his erratic driving and gave chase. Gilheaney eventually jumped from his moving car, letting it smash into a signpost, before he was found passed out in Lincoln's Inn Fields, Holborn.
When arrested, he was tearful and apologetic, telling an officer: 'I hold my hands up... I am guilty. I am sorry.' He blamed his actions on the death of his brother from a cocaine overdose 18 months earlier. However, in later police interviews, he claimed he could not remember anything or identify himself in CCTV footage.
Mr Aylett concluded that describing Gilheaney's driving as that of a 'maniac' was a gross understatement. 'Instead, he was using his car as a weapon,' he said.
Anthony Gilheaney denies one count of murder, one count of wounding with intent, three counts of attempted murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. He has admitted to dangerous driving. The trial continues.
