Knifeman drove car at two men

A TEENAGER threatened two men with a knife before driving at them with his car and eventually running them off the road.

David Malyszczuk attacked his two victims, Luke Thorle and Nathan Parry, outside a house in Cardiff and drove after them when they tried to escape in a van.

He drove his Ford Focus at one of the men, causing him to be knocked into the bonnet of a parked car.

A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday heard Malyszczuk was driving around Rumney with others in his car on May 12 last year when he saw Mr Thorle and Mr Parry, along with Mr Thorle’s grandfather, working outside a property in Nevin Crescent.

The defendant became agitated on seeing Mr Thorle due to a post on Facebook that he had written about him, and decided to park up.

Prosecutor Rebecca Griffiths told the court Malyszczuk and his two friends were armed with knives, which they brandished, threatening to attack Mr Thorle and Mr Parry.

The victims used hedge-cutting equipment, which they had been using, to defend themselves, but Malyszczuk got back into his car, mounted the kerb and drove deliberately at Mr Thorle, knocking him over into the bonnet of a car.

The victims then got into a van and began driving off.

Ms Griffiths said: “Not satisfied, this defendant did a three-point turn in the road and came back towards them.

“The two victims and the grandfather ran for their escape to the van but the defendant accelerated into the rear of the van five or six times.

“Eventually he stopped, turned around and drove away. The victims phoned the police while in the van and drove to Rumney police station.”

Defence barrister Jonathan Lewis said his client, who was 19 at the time of the offence but has since turned 20, grew up without positive emotional support, which left him unable to have rational thoughts and self-control.

He said the defendant was described as having “low intellectual ability”.

Malyszczuk pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and possession of an offensive weapon.

Judge Jeremy Jenkins sentenced Malyszczuk, of Wakehurst Place, St Mellons, to 14 months’ detention at a young offender institution and he was disqualified from holding a driving licence for two years and seven months.