Car thief’s appeal rejected by judge

William Doran (33), of Ravenscliffe, Bradford, drove over Carl Denny after meeting him on the pretence of buying Mr Denny’s wife’s car.

He admitted robbery and causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Nottingham Crown Court on 2nd October and was jailed for nine years with a three-year extended licence period.

Mr Justice Cooke told London’s Appeal Court how, on 24th June last year, Doran met with Mr Denny, intending to steal the car which had been advertised for sale on Gumtree.

They met in the car park of National Tyres, on Chesterfield Road, Mand Doran asked to take the BMW X5 for a test-drive.

As Mr Denny grabbed the passenger door handle to get in, Doran rapidly reversed the car.

The victim fell to the ground before Doran drove the BMW over him, leaving him with serious injuries including fractures and bleeding on the brain.

He was in a coma for two days and left with no recollection of what happened.

Mr Denny continues to have neurological problems and speech difficulties and is still off work, the judge said.

A tracking device enabled police to trace the car, which had already been packaged ready for export when they found it.

Golf clubs worth £3,000, which were in the boot of the car, were not recovered.

Mr Justice Cooke told the court Doran’s previous convictions of stealing vehicles over a six-year period.

Doran was condemned as a ‘dangerous’ offender by the judge who jailed him. He ‘simply didn’t care’ and was ‘prepared to act in dangerous ways to get his way’.

His lawyers nevertheless pointed out that he did not intend to use the car as a weapon and argued that his sentence was too tough.

But Mr Justice Cooke, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Sir Geoffrey Grigson, said the judge was entitled to take the view that he did.