Hampshire man who knocked down 16-year-old boy and then pointed nail gun at another driver is jailed

In one of the collisions, Thomas-Jay Lucas Gospel, 22, of Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, knocked down a 16-year-old boy and left him with life-changing injuries.

The three crashes happened in Southampton on December 14 last year.

Southampton Crown Court heard that Gospel was driving a blue Renault Clio when he attempted to drive between a parked car and oncoming vehicle in Holcroft Road at 8.23pm.

However, the space between the two was not wide enough and he got wedged between them, before reversing and mounting the pavement to get away. In the process, he knocked over a garden fence.

It was heard Gospel then had his second collision on Warburton Road, in which he hit a 16-year-old boy, throwing him into the air and leaving him with a life-changing head injury.

Gospel’s final collision happened at 8.26pm.

The court heard he had moved onto Bursledon Road, where he drove through a red traffic light and collided with three vehicles.

When the driver of one of the vehicles that was hit approached the Clio, Gospel started arguing with him before going to his boot and getting a nail gun, which he pointed at the man’s head.

Officers attended the scene and Gospel was arrested, at which point he refused to provide a blood sample.

Gospel admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen, criminal damage, two counts of failing to stop following a collision and common assault.

He was jailed for three years and banned from driving for four years and will have to take an extended re-test.

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Speaking after the sentencing, investigating officer PC Derek Hearn, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘This case involved a very serious and prolonged piece of bad driving.

‘Gospel’s selfish actions have left his 16-year-old victim with a life-changing injury, as well as putting many other road users at risk.

‘This should serve as a warning to people of the serious consequences that come with such dangerous driving.’

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