Motorist banned for driving into two men at McDonald's
A driver has been banned from getting behind the wheel for 12 months after he ploughed into two men in the car park of a McDonald's in Staffordshire.
Lewis Tubb drove at Stephen Ellis and his friend Lee Faultless following a disagreement outside the restaurant in Lichfield. Afterwards he drove off.
At Stafford Crown Court, Tubb, aged 22, of King's Road, Kingstanding, was fined £500 and banned from driving for 12 months after admitting a charge of dangerous driving.
Mr Walter Bealby, prosecuting, said the incident started when two girls were wolf-whistled at from the Mini that Mr Ellis and Mr Faultless were sitting in on June 22. After that happened, Tubb blocked the Mini's exit from the car park with his car.
Mr Ellis then jumped on to the bonnet of Tubb's VW car and as Tubb tried to drive off he ploughed into Mr Faultless, sweeping him off his feet and leaving him lying on the ground. Tubb then drove off, flagged down a police car nearby to report what had happened but was himself later arrested. CCTV cameras on a hotel car park nearby captured Mr Ellis running towards the VW.
Mr Bealby said: "When a collision was all but inevitable, he jumped on to the bonnet of the VW and rolled on to the windscreen, cracking it. He then went over the top of the car. The VW then drove towards Mr Faultless, who was holding an aluminium chair. He ran towards the VW and just before it hit him, he threw the chair at the car. When the car hit him, it took away his legs and he landed on the left hand side. All this arose, it seems, over someone in the Mini whistling at two girls." Recorder Mr Timothy Raggatt QC said he had seen photographs of the injuries suffered by Mr Ellis and Mr Faultless, but added: "They are lucky not to have been charged with some sort of offence."
Mr Raggatt told Tubb: "This is a most unusual case, wholly exceptional in my experience. Your driving was dangerous but you were put under some pressure."
Mr Mark Moore, defending, said Tubb's VW was only three weeks old. He added: "His vehicle was approached by the unfortunately named Mr Faultless. My client says one of the men said he wanted to rip him out of his seat."
