THIS is the terrifying moment a teenager uses his car “as a weapon” to mow down a man in front of horrified onlookers.
Thomas Baker ran down a man outside a busy café in front of terrified families in Gwynedd, North Wales in August.
The 19-year-old had been involved in a lunchtime confrontation with the victim outside Caffi Seren in Bethesda.
After leaving the scene, he returned with another man and mounted the pavement to drive at the victim in a shocking act of “revenge.”
The court heard the victim flew through the air, landing on the car bonnet and then the pavement, leaving him unconscious with serious head injuries.
He also suffered a hairline fracture of the ankle and severe scalp injuries.
Prosecutor Emmalyne Downing told Caernarfon Crown Court that Baker had first punched another man at a table outside the café.
When Baker got back in his car and drove off, the victim threw an ashtray at the windscreen, shattering it.
Baker then returned, and allegedly drove at the victim deliberately, before fleeing the scene.
Judge Nicola Jones told Baker he had deliberately driven into the victim, taking his legs from under him, and driven off.
“You used your car as a weapon,” she said.
The judge said the man was a vulnerable pedestrian and that Baker’s actions were impulsive but deliberate.
The victim is a haemophiliac, causing his blood to clot slowly and leading to prolonged bleeding after injury.
Baker, from Glan Ogwen, Bethesda, has been diagnosed with autism.
His lawyer Amy Edwards said he is immature, regrets his actions and has accepted responsibility.
He was sentenced to 40 months in a Young Offenders Institution.
She said: “He did not know how to behave. He did not know how to deal with his anger.”
“He used his vehicle as a weapon but he has not set out on that morning to cause that harm to the victim.
“It’s a case where he has not controlled his emotions. It escalated and his behaviour was entirely inappropriate.”
Detective Constable Gwion Jones, from North Wales Police, said: “This was an appalling incident that occurred in broad daylight on a High Street busy with residents, tourists and children enjoying their summer holidays.
“Baker demonstrated a shocking disregard for the safety and well-being of both the victim and the wider public.
“We would like to thank everyone who came forward with information and video footage that assisted our investigation.
“Officers were able to locate, detain, and arrest Baker quickly – with multiple charges brought against him for his offending.
“We hope the community of Bethesda finds reassurance in the prompt and decisive policing response.
“We also welcome the custodial sentence handed down by the judge, which sends a clear message that such behaviour will not be tolerated in our communities.”
