POLICE have released the mugshot of a man who mowed down his victim with his car in a revenge attack in Pembroke.

Carl John was jailed for a total of four years for the attack, which witnesses said saw a man “thrown as high, if not higher, than the car” in the early hours of April 15 last year.

Swansea Crown Court heard that it was estimated John hit his victim – who was standing at the side of Westgate Hill waiting for a taxi – “at speed thought to be 30 or 40mph”.

Prosecutor Thomas Scapens said John and his brother had been kicked out of a nightclub after an incident.

He said that the pair got in to their car, mounted the pavement outside the club, and that a witness described them as “looking around” – possibly searching for the victim – before driving off.

However, they spotted the victim – who had been drinking with friends – standing on the pavement along Westgate Hill.

John drove in to him at speed, with a witness describing the victim as being “thrown as high, if not higher, than the car”. They added that they feared the man had been killed as he was lying “motionless” and with his mouth covered in blood.

The victim was taken to hospital via ambulance. He suffered bruising and swelling to the side of his face and chin, four chipped and broken teeth, and bruising to the chest, collarbone and hip.

John was arrested at his mum’s address in Pembroke Dock that evening. There, he was found with 14 grams of cannabis and a pack of blue pills, thought to be Viagra.

Discussing John’s police interview, Mr Scapens said: “He stated he swerved the car in order to scare him and didn’t intend to hit him.”

The prosecutor continued: “His driving can be seen as nothing short of dangerous.

“This was a revenge attack because of something that went on inside the club earlier.”

John, 38, of Reynolds Close in Ipswich, pleaded guilty to all charges. The court heard that he had 19 previous convictions for 49 offences.

“He accepts it is more by luck than judgement that he is not facing a harsher sentence,” defence counsel Ian Ibrahim said.

“The best mitigation is his guilty pleas.”

Mr Ibrahim said John had not been convicted for violence for 13 years, or at all for more than 10 years.

He added there had been a delay in the case, as John had been arrested on the same day as the offences.

Addressing the initial incident in the club, Mr Ibrahim said: “He said he was out with his brother. His brother had a chain stolen from his neck. That led him to go looking for who might be responsible.

Mr Ibrahim said John was “remorseful” and had now cut his drinking to “virtually zero”.

Judge Huw Rees said: “What you did could have had much worse consequences.

“Reason had fallen out of your mind when you committed these offences.”

Judge Rees jailed John for four years for attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

He also handed the defendant an 18-month sentence for dangerous driving and one month for possession of cannabis. These both will run concurrently to the four-year sentence.

John was banned from driving for a total of six years, and the victim was granted a 10-year restraining order.

https://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/23999418.driver-mowed-victim-car-pembroke-jailed/