Jail for driver who left man badly hurt

A driver who knocked down an acquaintance causing serious injuries that may leave him disabled in a dispute over a £2,000 'debt' has been jailed for 18 months.

Scott Salcombe, aged 23, had been travelling at up to 60mph in a 30mph zone before he hit Matthew Harcourt, leaving him with multiple compound fractures, in Cradley.

Salcombe had spotted Harcourt crossing Station Road in Gorsty Hill, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard yesterday. Salcombe then drove towards him at speed.

Driving his Citroen Saxo, Salcombe struck his victim, who he claims owed him money, causing multiple leg injuries. It was not clear if Harcourt, who is around the same age as Salcombe, would ever walk normally again, the court heard.

Salcombe, of Granville Road, Cradley Heath, was convicted of dangerous driving and wounding after a trial earlier in the year.

Judge Michael Challinor told him: "You drove deliberately at Matthew Harcourt, your intention was to frighten him but such was your speed and lack of driving skill that you struck him. You used your car, in a sense, as a weapon. You knew you had seriously hurt him but you drove off."

Judge Challinor said the prognosis for Harcourt, who needed four operations, was "still uncertain".

"He may never walk normally again and you're responsible for that."

Judge Challinor jailed him for a year for the dangerous driving and 18 months, to run concurrently, for wounding. He was also yesterday banned from driving for three years following the incident, which happened at around 9.15am on October 30 last year.

Judge Challinor added: "You need to pay a penalty to the community for what you did to Matthew Harcourt. When you are released and start to pick up the reigns of your life, he may still be disabled."

Mr David Iles, defending, said Salcombe was "not a tearaway or a boy racer" and that he never intended to cause him serious injury. He said that he had not so-ught his victim out and it was pure chance that their paths had crossed on the day.