Harlow man on trial accused of mowing down five people in central London on Christmas Day
Prosecutors claim Anthony Gilheaney hit pedestrians after leaving a nightclub - for racist and homophobic reasons.
A man went on a drink-fuelled rampage in London’s West End on Christmas Day 2024, causing six people to be hospitalised and resulting in one man’s death, a court heard.
Anthony Gilheaney, 30, appeared at the Old Bailey on Monday (1 December) accused of using his car as a weapon in a series of violent and unprovoked attacks, some of which were allegedly motivated by racism and homophobia.
The incident started in the early hours of Christmas Day after Gilheaney left a nightclub and allegedly launched multiple attacks on Shaftesbury Avenue.
The prosecution told jurors that 25-year-old Aidan Chapman suffered fatal brain damage after being struck by Gilheaney’s car. He was hospitalised but died on New Year's Eve.
“By the time he reached Shaftesbury Avenue, the defendant was simply completely and utterly out of control,” prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC said.
The court heard Gilheaney targeted pedestrians, including a gay couple returning from Midnight Mass and another man, Arif Khan, who he attacked using racial abuse before knocking him down with his vehicle and assaulting him further.
Prosecution claims suggest that Gilheaney became enraged after leaving the nightclub. He allegedly attacked multiple individuals, including a Sikh man, Hardeep Singh, and then escalated to using his car to strike people on Great Windmill Street and Shaftesbury Avenue.
His actions were captured by the dash-cam of a waiting Uber driver, Hasan Mashood, who also became a victim.
Police eventually apprehended Gilheaney in Lincoln’s Inn Fields after finding him passed out. The defendant was heard apologising to officers and admitting guilt at the time of his arrest, but in interviews claimed he could not recall the events.
Gilheaney denies several charges, including one count of murder, three counts of attempted murder, and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He has, however, admitted to dangerous driving.
The trial continues.