The shocking moment an 'immature' driver panicked and crashed his Audi into a crowd of rowdy pub drinkers has been revealed. Mason Coray, 24 knocked over a woman and injured two men as he tried to drive off with his passenger door hanging open, Wales Online reports.
The 24-year-old had received a driving ban for drink driving just four months prior to the incident which took place on July 8 in the car park of Llanharan's Bryncae Arms. Cardiff Crown Court heard that the man reversed his Audi Q2 into two men, Ben Gayle and Ashley Webber who were trying to break up a fight and also ran down an unknown woman.
Prosecutor Meirion Davies told the court: "Special constable Rhys Taylor was off duty and enjoying the premises' hospitality with his wife when he saw the car being parked. A short time later he heard the sound of females arguing and describes one of the females as having been a passenger in the car.
"The girls became involved in a scrap and males started fighting near the passenger side of the Audi. It's not suggested that this defendant is one of those males.
"While this was going on around the car, the defendant reversed three to four metres. The passenger door was open and struck either Mr Webber or Mr Gayle.
"The other was then knocked to the floor." Mr Taylor ran to the car and opened the driver's door while Coray was attempting to flee the scene.
He managed to grab hold of Coray and ordered him to: "Get out of the f***ing car." The police officer identified himself as a special constable but Coray, who did not believe him, said: "No you're not, show me your badge."
The off duty officer restrained Coray to the ground while he waited for some other cops to arrive. Mr Gayle and Mr Webber, who were injured in the incident, said they were struck by the car while trying to break up a brawl.
They both suffered bruises and one of them was left with a sprained ankle as a result. The prosecutor said: "The men got away luckily without suffering a more serious injury.
Coray, of Clos Glas Llwch in Trowbridge, Cardiff, was sentenced in court on Monday after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, two counts of causing actual bodily harm (ABH), and driving while banned and without insurance. The defendant, who suffers from Crohn's disease and cystic fibrosis, secured the vehicle through the Motability scheme because of his disability.
His lawyer, Matthew Thomas argued that while he had a made a 'very foolish decision' to drive illegally, he did it because of 'peer pressure to be included as part of the gang'. He added: "None of his friends talked him out of it.
"When they got there it was all kicking off. He didn't get involved and initially protected himself by shutting the car door.
"He initially reversed slowly then sped up towards the end." Mr Thomas told the court that Coray's lips had gone a 'funny colour' while the special constable restrained him so he let him go.
He argued that Mr Coray could easily have fled the scene but he had waited for police to arrest him and to 'face the music'. The lawyer described Coray to be an 'immature 24-year-old' who is unable to read or write as he missed out on a lot of his education due to his illness.
He argued that the judge should not class the vehicle as a 'weapon' as the incident was an accident with no 'intention behind it' as the defendant panicked. The judge, Recorder Robin Rouch, told Coray: "I accept on the basis of your plea that you panicked and reversed out of there, not being able to go forward due to a wall.
"The passenger door was out and struck people." Recorder Rouch also took into account that Coray was immature for his age and was sorry for his actions. He ordered a 30-week jail term suspended for 13 months and a two-month curfew between the hours of 8pm and 7am.
The judge also handed Coray a 14 month driving ban and ordered him to pay a £187 victim services surcharge.
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