Man who used car as ‘dangerous weapon’ jailed for more than six years

A driver has been sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison after using his car as a “highly dangerous weapon” to collide with a pedestrian.

Ashley Sherred, 33, of Southampton Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving in June, and was sentenced at Salisbury Crown Court on Friday.

He was also sentenced for dangerous driving in relation to another incident, where he fled from police and rammed a police vehicle.

On May 10, Sherred was captured on CCTV driving a blue Ford Fiesta while seemingly “on something” doing wheel spins and handbrake turns in Pinewood Close, Salisbury.

When the victim came out of his property to see what was happening, Sherred mounted the curb and deliberately collided with him, severely breaking his leg.

As the defendant drove off at high speed, he threatened to return and burn their house down, the court heard.

There was some suggestion that he did it as “revenge” because someone in the victim’s family had started dating his ex-girlfriend.

When Sherred was arrested by police at a nearby pub later that day he reportedly told police “yeah and he deserved it”.

The victim’s leg was described as “swinging and hanging off” and, in a witness statement, he told the court “there is still a chance I could lose my foot” and that doctors are not sure he will recover full movement in his leg.

Judge Rufus Taylor said: “You’re in the middle of this close, driving extremely dangerously driving round and round on the grass.

“Your eyes were described as going everywhere looking crazy like you were on something.”

“You drove straight at him (the victim), you mounted the curb and collided with him, (the victim’s) son witnessed it and described his father being thrown up in the air”.

Sherred received five years and seven months for the attack and a year and a half concurrent for driving dangerously.

He was also sentenced for an earlier incident of dangerous driving from August 31 last year, where he “rammed” a police car while driving at double the legal intoxication limit.

On that occasion, once he was caught, he told police he’d had “nine pints of Guinness and a gram of cocaine” after being clocked travelling at up to 110mph.

Sherred, this time driving a Honda CR-V SUV, drove at excessive speeds towards a police car, before braking and evading, then crashing into a fence outside a house and later driving on the wrong side of a junction.

When he was caught, he reversed into a police car six times “effectively ramming it each time” before both cars finally came to a stop.

Judge Taylor called it the “worst possible case of dangerous driving” as he ignored the rules of the road, evaded police, was intoxicated, and rammed a police car.

Sherred received a further year and three months concurrent for that offence bringing his total sentence to six years and 10 months.

He was also disqualified from driving for four years from the day of his release.