A COVENTRY man who stole an Amazon delivery van and seriously injured its driver has been jailed for 13 and a half years.
Jarren Reid was jailed at Warwick Crown Court on Friday, March 24 after admitting to theft and wounding.
On November 19 2018, Reid, 33, was the passenger in a Mercedes A Class which was seen following an Amazon delivery van on Marlborough Road and Dean Street.
Reid jumped into the van and attempted to drive off when it pulled up to make a delivery, but the driver tried to make him stop by clinging onto the bonnet.
Reid tried to shake the driver off the van by driving from side to side and slamming the brakes, driving dangerously for several minutes.
The van driver was thrown off and was hit by a lorry, with Reid’s actions causing him to suffer a traumatic brain injury, leaving him with lasting issues with movement and balance and requiring complex surgery.
The van was later recovered burnt out on Shilton Lane near Reid’s home address, but he evaded police for almost four years.
Following his arrest, Reid answered no comment to all questions in the interview but was later charged with both the theft of the van and wounding of the driver.
DC Keith Clarkson, from Coventry FCID, said: “This was a calculated theft which left the victim with lasting injuries requiring life-saving surgery.
“This conviction comes as a result of some excellent work from officers investigating, as well as the testimonies of the witnesses who saw what happened.”
