Roofer killed by vengeful driver who rammed van
ADRIVER who killed a roofer when he rammed his van off the road in a road rage attack in Birmingham has been jailed for eight years.
Andre Thomas was driving at 60mph when he collided with the van in Kingstanding Road, Kingstanding, causing it to plough into a tree.
Van driver Danny died from his injuries.
Thomas, 31, of Cradley Croft, Handsworth, admitted causing the death by dangerous driving and two charges of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
As well as being jailed, Thomas was also banned from the roads for 11 and a half years.
He had been acquitted of murder, manslaughter and two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Andrew Smith QC, prosecuting, said Mr Blount had met earlier with Adrian Clarke and Wayne Johnson at the Golden Hind pub in Kingstanding on April 25 and there had been an altercation between them and Thomas.
Afterwards Mr Blount sped off in the van with Mr Clarke and Mr Johnson, pursued by the defendant in a Honda. Both passengers in the van were also seriously injured as a result of the collision, with Mr Blount, 31, Clarke suffering brain damage. In passing sentence, Judge Paul Farrer QC said that during the earlier incident Mr Clarke had attacked Thomas with a weapon, probably a baseball bat.
He said: “You were enraged and intent on some form of retribution.
“You proceeded to pursue the van up the Kingstanding Road for a distance approaching two thirds of a mile. You positioned yourself within feet and sometimes within inches of the rear of the van and you repeatedly sought to undertake and overtake it. You were probably frustrated by your inability to get past the van and you then proceeded to drive in the back of the van on three occasions.”
The judge said a witness had heard the sound like “tin cans” as Thomas had “shunted” the van along the road. He said the defend- ant had then driven partly alongside of the van and Mr Blount had probably been unaware of this and had moved to his right to try and block Thomas.
“Tragically that caused a collision. The van span 180 degrees and left the road,” he added.
In a statement Tina Blount, the victim’s mother, said “As a family we are grieving the loss of an enormous character. Danny was a loving, funny and bright personality who lit up a room.”
Timothy Raggatt, defending, said “There were repeated attempts by the van to block the car. That (the van) was being driven by a man who was under the influence of drink and drugs.
“There is a high degree of contributory negligence on the part of those in the van. They were the catalyst for the events.”