A man has been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment after he deliberately drove into a group standing outside a pub.
On 1 May 2021 at around 1:10am, police were called to a pub on Moorhall Road in Harefield to reports of a vehicle hitting three people before fleeing the location.
The driver, Charles Bishton, from Colchester, had been drinking at the pub before becoming involved in an argument and threatening to run people over in his car.
Leaving in a Black Hyundai car, he returned moments later, parking opposite the venue. Bishton then accelerated at speed into a group of people. The vehicle struck a 30-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man. Neither suffered life changing injuries and both have since made a full recovery.
After fleeing the scene, Bishton abandoned the vehicle he was driving in New Denham which showed obvious signs of recent damage.
Officers tracked him down to an address in Maida Vale where he was arrested for Grievous Bodily Harm and dangerous driving.
In an interview, Bishton provided no comment to all questions put to him and was charged with three counts of attempted Grievous Bodily Harm, affray and dangerous driving.
Despite pleading not guilty at Isleworth Crown Court, on 11 February, Charles Bishton was found guilty on two counts of attempted Grievous Bodily Harm, dangerous driving and affray and was sentenced to three and half year’s imprisonment and disqualified from driving for 31 months.
DC Raheli Shepherd, from the West Area BCU CID said: “Charles Bishton showed no regard for the serious, or possibly fatal injuries that his reckless actions could have caused and it is only by luck that the victims have sustained minor injuries. “I want to thank those members of the public and the brave victims who have helped secure this conviction by providing the evidence.”
