A man who drove his car into a packed dancefloor after being ejected from a nightclub has been jailed for 28 years. Mohammed Abdul, 21, was convicted of two counts of attempted murder at Maidstone Crown Court for the attack at Blake's nightclub in Gravesend, Kent, on 17 March last year.
Abdul had been thrown out by bouncers for being too drunk, having consumed at least 15 glasses of vodka, tequila shots, and smoked multiple cannabis joints. He told the court he felt 'humiliated' and threatened to kill the door staff before returning 10 minutes later in his Suzuki Vitara.
The attack left eight people injured, including 18-year-old Katie Wells with a fractured pelvis and cameraman Pierre Jermaine Joseph with a fractured shinbone. CCTV footage captured the car accelerating down an alleyway and into a marquee where clubbers were dancing, with one man swept onto the bonnet.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Libby Clark said: 'It was sheer luck that no one was killed that night, but the impact on those caught up cannot be underestimated. They had to experience the nightmare of having a car hurtle towards them with no warning as they were enjoying a night out.'
Abdul, who only held a provisional licence, was disqualified from driving until he passes his test. The judge imposed two concurrent 28-year sentences for the attempted murder convictions.
