A van driver killed a man by repeatedly running him over in Skegness. Jonathan Wilson, 34, of Woodthorpe Avenue, Boston, was sentenced to 14 years and six months behind bars at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, December 12.
He previously pleaded guilty to to the manslaughter of James "Jimmy" Britton on the grounds of diminished responsibility, reports Lincolnshire Live.
Mr Britton, aged 37, was struck by a Ford Transit Van in Everingtons Lane, in Skegness, at 4.14pm on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.
He was rushed to hospital and sadly died on November 18. Another man, Jamie Cram, 21, was also injured. His injuries were not life threatening.
Wilson, who had used cannabis every day since he was 14, had acute paranoid delusional psychosis when he rammed a stolen van into his friend he went to Skegness to see. When Wilson arrived in Skegness on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, "he was seen on CCTV with a knife in one hand and in another a rock," said Katherine Goddard KC, prosecuting.
Read more: Parents appear in court after baby girl dies in dog attack
Ms Goddard and Nigel Edwards KC, mitigating, agreed Wilson "thought he was being chased by people with knives and guns and that Mr Britton had a brick," which was not true. Wilson had been lurking in the area near where Mr Britton lived, and on the day of the incident had thrown the rock he had through someone's car window.
He had also attempted to steal a metal flask from a van on Everingtons Lane, where contractors were working on a driveway, the court heard. Ms Goddard explained that later in the day, the two people working on the driveway realised something was being thrown at them. She said: "They realised what was being thrown were long metal poles and the person throwing them was this defendant, who tried to steal a metal flask earlier that day."
Wilson was then approached by another man later in the day, the court heard. When approached by a man who asked if he was okay, Wilson ran at him with the metal poles.
The man described Mr Wilson as "looking demonic." Ms Goddard explained it was then that a manhunt for Wilson began.
Wilson went on to steal a van, pushing the owner in chest when he was challenged, the court heard, before driving off at high speed. CCTV footage in the court shows now 21-year-old Jamie Cram crossing a road when the van driven my Wilson hits him, pushing him into another van.
Ms Goddard said: "Mr Cram estimated the speed of the van as between 40 and 50 miles per hour and believed that the van was driven deliberately at him." This caused perpetration to his bowel and a fractured wrist.
Ms Goddard said: "Without surgery to his bowel, Mr Cram would have died." Wilson then drove further and eventually went directly at a group of people, hitting Mr Britton.
He continued to reverse into Mr Britton and repeatedly rammed him against a tipper van. Mr Britton made his way to a grass verge and when he was on the ground Wilson ran him over whilst shouting: "That’s what you deserve, now you know who you are f*****g with."
Wilson then fled onto the A52 near Friskney. "A pursuit lasted about 15 minutes with defendant driving the van in an increasingly frantic manner," Ms Goddard said.
The court heard that Wilson had rammed police cars before driving into a field. He was tasered by police and arrested.
Ms Goddard said that a witness had recalled: "It was like something in a film. It just wasn’t normal."
Ms Goddard added: "It was clear to the police that the defendant was displaying a degree of mental instability."
Mr Britton sadly died in hospital on the morning of November 18.
The court heard Wilson’s psychosis was a direct result of a misuse of controlled drugs, namely cannabis. One doctor, Dr Green, had said that Wilson had paranoid schizophrenia.
While passing his sentence, Judge Simon Hirst said: "You chose, since the age of 14-years-old, to consume cannabis on a regular basis. It is well known that the use of cannabis can cause mental health issues."
Judge Hirst said the effects cannabis induced psychosis is not uncommon, but the effects can be "catastrophic." Wilson had previously been before the court for assaulting three emergency workers in October 2021, which he was sentenced to 11 weeks imprisonment suspended for one year.
On December 12, he was sentenced to 14 years and six months for the manslaughter of Mr Britton by diminished responsibility. He was also sentenced to four years and eight months for the grievous bodily harm charge against Mr Cram to run concurrently.
A restraining order was put in place to protect Mr Cram from Wilson, who will serve a minimum of two thirds of his sentence before being let out on parole.
READ NEXT:
Nottinghamshire Police divers help with Solihull lake rescue as three boys die
More snow for Notts as Met Office's Christmas week verdict released
Tattooist pulled drag artist's wig in Nottingham city centre bar
Nottingham business owner calls neighbourhood 'hell' amid crime concerns
Nottingham off-licence given permission to trade as street drinking concerns dismissed
