Driver ‘rammed and killed youth who’d damaged prized Mustang’
AN ENRAGED motorist murdered a scooter’s pillion passenger for smashing a bottle on his prized Ford Mustang, a court heard yesterday.
Bradley Clifford turned his car into “a lethal weapon” as he rammed the moped from behind, it was alleged.
The impact allegedly hurled passenger Soban Khan, 18, and rider Jashua Francis, 19, into the air.
Clifford, 24, then dashed over to Mr Khan and began beating him as he lay dying in the road, the Old Bailey in London was told.
The bottle-smashing incident last August, sparked “20 seconds of sheer madness” in Clifford, said Aftab Jafferjee, prosecuting.
Plumber Clifford was driving in Enfield, north London, when Mr Francis began to overtake him.
Mr Khan acted “stupidly and indeed criminally” by breaking the bottle, said Mr Jafferjee. But Clifford allegedly overreacted.
“His response was rapid, brutal and unrelenting,” said Mr Jafferjee.
“He intended at the very least to cause terrible harm to those that he held responsible.” He said Mr Francis drove on to the wrong side of the road to escape but Clifford accelerated and ploughed into the scooter.
Mr Khan and Mr Francis were then “flung into the air” and the moped became “completely entangled”.
“There was no way Clifford could continue driving with a moped attached to the front of his car,” said Mr Jafferjee. “But that did not stop the fury that he had unleashed.
“As Mr Khan lay virtually motionless, totally defenceless, and fatally injured, such was this defendant’s rage that he went over to him and beat him.”
Mr Khan, of Enfield, was pronounced dead at the scene while his friend was taken to hospital for treatment. Clifford, also of Enfield, denies murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
He insists he had no intention to chase the scooter, the jury was told.
Clifford claims the fatal crash was an “unfortunate accident” caused when Mr Francis braked suddenly.
The trial continues.