Driver jailed after he deliberately ran over two pedestrians
Purdeep Panesar, 27, of Bluebell Close, Bedford, was convicted at Luton Crown Court following the incident in Bedford in May 2017.
The court heard how the incident took place at around 9.40pm, with jury shown CCTV of Panesar speeding past two pedestrians who were attempting to cross London Road.
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It was then that they gestured towards Panesar’s BMW M3 vehicle.
Panesar responded by reversing back along the road and deliberately crashing into the two men.
As they attempted to escape, Panesar then mounted the pavement and tried to hit them with his car again before driving off.
Fortunately the victims of the attack only suffered minor injuries.
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Panesar was found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH), attempted GBH with intent to cause harm, and dangerous driving.
He was sentenced to four years in prison for both GBH offences, to run concurrently, and an 18-month concurrent sentence for the dangerous driving.
Detective Constable Aroop Nandre, who led the investigation, said: “It is by sheer luck that the victims did not suffer more serious injuries in this appalling attack.
“Panesar deliberately used his car as a weapon.
“The two parties were not known to one another and it is a real concern that Panesar would resort to this level of violence in the heat of the moment.
“Whilst this was not pre-meditated, this sort of action cannot be tolerated and I hope that Panesar reflects on his actions while he is behind bars.”