Friend saves man in Christmas Day 'carnage'

A man who was run down and assaulted by an allegedly intoxicated driver on Christmas Day testified in court that he would have been killed had his friend not stepped in.

Thirty-year-old Anthony Gilheaney is accused of causing a path of destruction in Londons West End during the early hours of 25 December 2024, an incident that left a 25-year-old man dead and four others injured.

Arif Khan, one of the survivors, told the court that Gilheaney attacked him, verbally abused him with a racial slur, and reversed a vehicle into him.

Gilheaney has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, and wounding.

Testifying at the Old Bailey, Khan stated: He tried to hit me with the car. I was unconscious. Im fortunate my friend was thereif not, I wouldnt be alive today.

CCTV footage presented to the jury showed Khan standing behind a Mercedes moments before it reversed into him, knocking him to the ground. His friend, Benjamin Asante, was seen pulling him back onto the pavement.

Gilheaney then allegedly exited the vehicle and pursued Khan, striking him with an object that caused a scalp wound measuring 5 cm in length and 3 mm in depth.

Khan said he struggled to stay on his feet due to the impact: My head wasnt right I wasnt fully aware of what was happening. He kept trying to reach me, but my friend blocked him. I remember being hit and then collapsing again. Everything after that is mostly a blur.

Investigators later recovered parts of a screwdriver at the scene, with DNA linking the item to the defendant.

Khan, testifying from behind a screen, showed frustration when Gilheaneys lawyer claimed the two men knew each other due to an alleged drug debt. Khan responded: I dont know him at allhe has nothing to do with me.

After the assault on Khan, Gilheaney allegedly struck a gay coupleMiguel Waihrich and Marcelo Basbus-Garcia who were returning from Midnight Mass on Great Windmill Street. Moments later, he reportedly hit Aidan Chapman and his friend Tyrone Ithoro while they crossed Shaftesbury Avenue. Chapman later died on New Years Eve from brain injuries.

Prosecutors argue that the attack on Khan was racially motivated, while the assault on the couple was driven by homophobic intent.

The trial remains ongoing.

Author: Riley Thompson