NHS worker 'deliberately' hit by car - court

Katungua Tjitendero was leaving work at Southmead Hospital when he was hit by a car.

An NHS worker was left seriously injured after being hit by a car that mounted the pavement, a court has heard.

Katungua Tjitendero, 25, was "flung onto the windscreen" on the afternoon of 22 July 2020 near Southmead Hospital in Bristol shortly after finishing his shift there.

As he lay on the floor, with a broken leg, nose and extensive facial injuries, he heard two men running away and one shouted racial abuse, Bristol Crown Court was told.

Phillip Adams, 26, Patrick James, 22, Jordan McCarthy, 22, and Daniel Whereatt, 51, all from Bristol, deny conspiring to “unlawfully and maliciously” inflict grievous bodily harm to Mr Tjitendero.

Mr James also denies a second charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an incident 10 days earlier, although he admits the alternative of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

On the first day of the trial, the jury was told that Mr Tjitendero was walking to a bus stop along Monks Park Avenue, when a dark blue Honda Accord mounted the pavement and pinned him to a wall.

Patrick James (left) and Jordan McCarthy are accused along with two others of conspiring to “unlawfully and maliciously” inflict grievous bodily harm to Mr Tjitendero

Anjali Gohil, prosecuting, told the jury Mr Tjitendero suffered a fractured fibula, fractured nose and lacerations to his head and both shins and required surgery led by a plastic surgeon.

“He was unprotected, and he had no chance to take preventative action," she said.

“Such was the force that he was struck... he was flung onto the windscreen and the concrete blocks of an impacted wall fell to the ground.

“It is the Crown’s case that the collision was deliberately planned in which each defendant participated and agreed.”

In relation to the racial slurs, Miss Gohil said: “This case is not being prosecuted as a racially motivated crime, rather it gives you the impression of the sort of mind of one of those running away had just after hitting Mr Tjitendero."

She said that instead of exhibiting "shock, or call the emergency services, help or check they were alright", they chose to shout abuse and run away.

Katungua Tjitendero was hit by this Honda Accord on 22 July 2020.

The court was also told the men were wearing facemasks, which Miss Gohil suggested was evidence of “planning” because they did not want to be recognised.

Miss Gohil told the jury it was the Crown’s case that the blue Honda Accord estate – with Mr James and Mr Adams allegedly inside – was travelling around the Southmead area “looking” for Mr Tjitendero.

She said another car, a Kia, with Mr Whereatt driving and accompanied by Mr McCarthy, was waiting nearby to drive their co-accused away afterwards.

Mr Whereatt denies taking part in the incident and Mr McCarthy's representative said there was no evidence of a “grudge” between his client and Mr Tjitendero and he was not involved in a conspiracy.

Katungua Tjitendero had just left Southmead Hospital in Bristol where he worked

The jury was told that Mr James is also accused of being involved in a similar incident 10 days earlier in Avonmouth in which a Ford C-Max mounted the pavement and knocked Julian Ford, a cyclist, off his bike.

“There are similarities between the two counts on the indictment, both involving vehicles causing serious injury as a result of being approached from behind when they were on the pavement and struck by a vehicle, which the prosecution says, was used as a weapon,” Miss Gohil said.

Mr Ford suffered a rib fracture, a haemothorax, a lung injury and blood in his chest.

Hours later Mr James also carried out internet searches for “hit and run” and the “legal consequence of running someone over”.

Mr James has accepted he was in the front passenger seat and filmed the incident, which happened on the evening of 12 July.

Earlier, Judge Moira Macmillan told the jury Mr Adams had chosen not to attend the trial and the case would continue in his absence.

The trial continues.