Men convicted of running down NHS worker

Two men have been convicted by a jury of conspiracy to cause intentional grievous bodily harm (GBH) to Katungua Tjitendero by running him over in a car in Bristol.

Patrick James, 22, of Broadlands Drive, Avonmouth, (pictured below, left) and Phillip Adams, 26, of Eastleigh Road, Southmead, (below, right) had denied the charge but were unanimously found guilty at Bristol Crown Court today, Friday 27 September.

They will be sentenced on Monday 30 September.

What happened?

Mr Tjitendero, then 21, was walking home from work at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, when he was struck from behind by a car on Monks Park Avenue at 4.30pm on Wednesday 22 July 2020.

Detective Superintendent Mike Buck, who led the investigation into the attack on Katungua, said: “From nowhere, a car attacked him from behind. He had no chance and was left with devastating injuries.”

Two men ran from the car, with one of them shouting a racially abusive term at Mr Tjitendero.

The court heard that members of the public rushed to help Katungua. The car had pinned him against a wall which was partly demolished in the impact.

He was taken to the hospital – where both he and his mother Hivaka work – for emergency treatment to injuries including facial wounds, a broken nose, a fractured right leg and lacerations to both his legs.

The court heard that on 16 July James had paid £300 for the blue Honda Accord involved in the collision.

CCTV from petrol stations around the area showed James using the car in the following days.

Adams’ DNA was found in the car and he told officers he had been in the car at times. Both men denied driving or being in the vehicle when it crashed in Monks Park Road.

Detectives found evidence of another crime

James’ mobile phone provided more evidence. This was footage filmed from inside a car, showing it being driven up onto a pavement to knock a cyclist – Julian Ford – off his bike, and failing to stop at the scene.

It happened on Sunday 12 July in Broadlands Drive, Lawrence Weston. Mr Ford suffered fractured ribs and had air and blood in his chest cavity, leading to a lengthy stay in hospital.

D/Supt Buck said: “It was later in the investigation, some time later, in fact, that we identified this attack on Julian Ford, only 10 days beforehand, and realised the significance, that this wasn’t an isolated incident. These were two linked attacks.

“Patrick James was filming the attack and you hear him on the video, and the driver, laughing both before and afterwards as they drive off. Absolutely sickening.”

James previously admitted causing GBH without intent to Julian Ford, but today the jury found him guilty of intentionally causing GBH to Mr Ford.

Phillip Adams failed to appear in court and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was tried in his absence.

Two other men, Jordan McCarthy, 22, and Daniel Whereatt, 51, both of Avonmouth, denied a charge of conspiracy to cause GBH to Mr Tjitendero and were acquitted by the jury.

D/Supt Buck added: “On behalf of the investigative team I’d like to thank Mr Tjitendero and his family, and Mr Ford, for their patience and support over the past four years as we built this case.”