A MAN who deliberately drove his car at a group of men in Coventry City centre has been jailed.
Javeed Malik pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and driving with excess alcohol after driving his VW Golf at a group of men – hitting one and throwing him six feet in the air.
The 33-year-old of Garrison Lane, Bordesley Green, Birmingham was also banned for driving for three years and ordered him to pay a mandatory £180 criminal court charge and a £100 victim surcharge.
In the early hour of May 21, police were alerted to CCTV of a friend of Malik’s being chased by and set upon by a group of men.
Moments later, the CCTV operator also drew the police’s attention to a red VW Golf being driven erratically near IKEA.
The friend had been pushed to the floor by the gang when Malik sped his car towards the group – throwing one of the men up in the air.
Miraculously, the man got straight back to his feet and ran back towards the group.
Malik then attempted to hit other members of the group with his car – driving in loops across a pedestrian area after each attempt.
It was at that point that the police arrived on the scene – Malik cutting across the pedestrian area again before speeding off, pursued by the police car.
When officers eventually caught up with Malik’s Golf, which had front-end damage consistent with it having hit someone, the 33-year-old was breathalised and gave a reading over 51 – comparing to the legal limit of 35.
When interviewed, Malik said he had been in town in a friend when the paid became separated.
He said he then got in his car and drove round looking for his friend he saw him being attacked, so drove towards the group, sounding his horn, to try to stop the attack.
Malik accepted he had driven across the pedestrian area, but claimed he had not deliberately driven at the man he hit and had driven round again to try to find his friend.
But Prosecutor Sarah Allen said that Malik already had a number of convictions for driving offences, and at the time he was on licence from a ten-year sentence for his part in an armed robbery in 2008.
Jailing Malik, Recorder Pal Sanghera told him: “I doubt you had intended to get a taxi back.
“You had decided you were simply going to go over to Coventry and have a drink and drive back.
“That attitude does not make your case any better.”
“Using that vehicle as a weapon when there were no doubt other people leaving this night club was going to put them at risk.
“Nothing short of an immediate sentence of imprisonment is justified.”
