A driver has been jailed for ten years for mowing down a woman and her causing horrific injuries. Luke Geard was drunk and angry when he deliberately ploughed into the woman with his BMW X5 in Axminster.
He collided with a parked vehicle outside her home then put his foot down and pinned her against a car. Geard drove away from the scene to buy a kebab, leaving her in agony on the ground.
She suffered multiple broken bones and needed emergency surgery. When police arrested him later that evening he said: “That’s not my problem, I couldn’t give a f**k.”
Read more: Axminster driver ‘couldn’t remember’ hitting woman outside her home
Geard, aged 30, of Hillcrest in Kilmington, was convicted in May of causing grievous bodily harm with intent following a three-day trial after having previously pleaded guilty to several other offences; driving a motor vehicle dangerously, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, assaulting an emergency worker, and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.
He returned to court on Monday to be sentenced. The court heard a moving victim impact statement from the injured woman who said she is now scared of crossing the road. “I could have died that night,” she said. “My life was completely ruined and will never be the same again.”
The incident happened on June 22 last year after Geard had been drinking at the George Hotel and in the Red Lion in Axminster. He dropped a friend off at her home in Sector Lane at about 10pm.
Helen Thorne recalled hearing shouting outside her house and going into the street to investigate. She saw an “inpatient” driver edging his way down the road and trying to squeeze his BMW X5 past an oncoming vehicle. While manoeuvring through the narrow gap he hit a parked car outside her house.
Mrs Thorne walked across the front of Geard’s BMW and put her hand up for him to stop. The victim described in a video interview that Geard looked directly at her before he accelerated into her, crushing her against a parked vehicle.
She needed emergency surgery to repair multiple broken bones in her leg, foot, back, and ankle. She also suffered fractures to her shoulder blade, ribs, pelvis and a punctured lung. While she was screaming in agony on the floor Geard drove to Seaton to get a takeaway.
On the way, Geard was involved in another collision, hitting a vehicle on Boshill Hill in Seaton, and failing to stop.
After arriving at the kebab shop and ordering food, Geard returned to his vehicle and headed to his home address in Kilmington. On his way home, a concerned road user alerted police to Geard’s dangerous driving and he was arrested a short time afterwards.
The jury was played CCTV footage of Geard boozing in the pub before the collision, in the takeaway on Marine Place and later being booked into custody after his arrest.
He was recorded on police body worn video slurring his words at the custody officer and saying “That’s not my problem, I couldn’t give a f**k,” when told about the woman’s injuries. But during a later interview with detectives he expressed his sympathy.
Geard must serve a minimum two thirds of his sentence in prison before release.
Detective Inspector Guy Biggar said: “The team have worked extremely hard to ensure that the victim received justice. I’m pleased to see that the prosecution team were able to secure a conviction for causing grievous bodily harm with intent, in what is a particularly nasty, and unprovoked attack where Mr Geard used his vehicle as a weapon. The conviction, and subsequent sentence, is also testament to DC Mitchell’s hard work, diligence, and professionalism.”
His victim said: “He’s ruined my life and there’s not much else to say. I just have no idea why he would drive into me. I just wanted him to stop because he hit my sons-in-law’s car. He was so angry.
“It’s been the worst thing to ever happen to me but I also I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped and supported me through this very difficult time; my family and friends, the hospital staff who looked after me for months on end, the paramedics, the physios who have helped get me back on my feet, my colleagues, and the police.
“Everyone has been so lovely to me through this process, and I am very grateful for all of the care and support I am still receiving.”
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