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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Conor Gogarty & Alahna Kindred

Terrifying moment 'immature' man crashes Audi into crowd of pub drinkers

This is the moment an "immature" man crashed his Audi into a group of arguing pub drinkers.

Mason Coray, 24, got behind the wheel of his Audi Q2 on July 8 in the car park of the Bryncae Arms in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.

He injured two men Ben Gayle and Ashley Webber, who were attempting to break up a brawl and knocked down a woman, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Coray had been banned from driving four months earlier, WalesOnline reports.

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 still from the footage in the Mason Coray case (CPS)

"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."

The court heard that Coray also appeared to knock down an unknown woman (CPS)

The court heard that Coray also appeared to knock down an unknown woman.

Mr Taylor ran to the car and opened the driver's door while Coray was attempting to drive away.

He grabbed hold of Coray and shouted: "Get out of the f***ing car."

Mr Taylor identified himself as a police special but Coray replied: "No you're not, show me your badge."

The special constable forcibly restrained Coray on the floor before colleagues arrived.

The court heard how Coray injured two men Ben Gayle and Ashley Webber (CPS)

Mr Gayle and Mr Webber said they had been trying to break up a fight when they were hit by the car.

They were both bruised and one suffered a sprained ankle.

The prosecutor said: "The men got away luckily without suffering a more serious injury."

Coray, of Trowbridge, Cardiff, admitted dangerous driving, two counts of causing actual bodily harm (ABH) and driving while banned and without insurance. He had been disqualified in March for drink-driving.

The outside of the pub of where it happened (Google Street View)

The defendant, who has cystic fibrosis and Crohn's disease, had got the car through the Motability scheme because of his disability.

His lawyer Matthew Thomas said driving while banned was a "very foolish decision", adding: "He does it with some peer pressure to be included as part of the gang. 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."

The lawyer described Coray as "an immature 24-year-old" who cannot read or write, having missed out on much of his schooling due to illness.

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 accepted that Coray was immature for his age and remorseful.

He imposed a 30-week jail term suspended for 18 months and a two-month curfew between 8pm and 7am.

The judge also banned Coray from driving for 14 months and handed him a £187 victim services surcharge.

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