Man jailed after driving at a pedestrian

A man who drove his pickup truck at a pedestrian, leaving him with critical injuries has been jailed.

Shay Holmes drove at the victim shortly after 1am on Thursday, January 8, in Carr Lane, Spennymoor.

The 24-year-old pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court earlier this year to wounding with intent and dangerous driving.

On Friday, October 30, he was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.

Immediately prior to sentencing, a trial of issue, otherwise known as a Newton Hearing, was held as although Holmes admitted the charges, he disputed some of the circumstances.

Following the incident, an investigation was launched by Durham Constabulary.

Officers spent hours trawling through CCTV footage from the area and carrying out door-to-door enquiries to identify Holmes’ movements around the time of the incident – a route which covered about three and a half miles.

Holmes stopped and engaged in a brief conversation with a man and a woman on Carr Lane before driving at the man, leaving him with serious injuries.

Holmes, of Spennymoor, then left the scene and disposed of his vehicle.

DCI Andrew Crowe, of Durham Constabulary, who led the investigation, said: “Holmes knew what he was doing in the early hours of that morning and did not care about the consequences. His actions have had a lasting impact on the victim, who suffered significant injuries as a result.

“This was a lengthy and complex investigation and I grateful to my team for their persistence and determination to uncover what happened that day.

“I would also like to thank the people of Spennymoor for their invaluable support and assistance throughout this investigation, which played a key role in identifying the route Holmes took.”