A man who plowed a stolen car into a busy dancefloor in a drink and drug fueled rage after being thrown out of a nightclub has been jailed for 28 years.
Mohammed Abdul, 21, had been on a night out at the Blake's nightclub in Gravesend, South East England, in March, before he was made to leave by security because he was too drunk.
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After initially refusing to do so, Abdul was then escorted out of the building, at which point he threatened to kill the door staff. Around 10 minutes later, he returned in a stolen Suzuki Vitara and drove down an alleyway outside the entrance to the club.
Prosecutors said Abdul then stopped for a few seconds before careering into the club's marquee, which was being used as a dance floor, knocking over several partygoers.
Security staff then managed to pull Abdul out of the vehicle and restrain him. At least 10 people were injured after Abdul plowed into the crowd, including a woman who suffered a fractured pelvis and a man left with a shattered shin bone, Kent Police said in a statement.
During the trial, Maidstone Crown Court heard that Abdul had drunk at least 15 glasses of vodka, tequila shots and smoked at least five joints on the night in question, BBC reports. Abdul told the jury that he only wanted to "make a nuisance of himself to get his own back on the door staff" by driving the car into the club.
Abdul was found guilty of two counts of attempting to murder multiple people on January 9. He has now been sentenced to 28 years in jail and banned from driving for two years following his release.
Kent Police Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Alastair Worton, said: "Abdul's actions that night were beyond deplorable, from his inappropriate behavior which led to him being ejected from Blake's, right through to driving at innocent people who were only looking for a good night.
"The idea of a vehicle being driven at people evokes very significant emotions in today's climate and it is a miracle no one died as a result of Abdul driving a 4x4 into the marquee. Many of those who were injured are still recovering now and I hope today's sentencing helps them find some closure."
Libby Clark, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "It was the prosecution's case that the defendant made a determined and deliberate attempt to kill people who offered no threat to him by using his car as a weapon.
"Not only did he carefully and deliberately maneuver his car into a relatively narrow alleyway, but he stopped and waited nine seconds, before then driving into people at considerable speed. That gave him time to consider what he was about to do."
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Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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