A thug dragged a homeless man along the street as he clung to his car before hitting him with his vehicle less than two weeks later.
Kevin Bartley thankfully only left his victim with grazes and bruising after the first incident. But the 37-year-old then hunted him down and threatened to kill him only days later.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today, Friday, that Mark Wilson was sitting on a bed outside the church where he was sleeping rough on King Street in St Helens town centre with his partner Helen Gray on May 17 last year when the defendant arrived at the scene in a Ford Fiesta. Kenneth Grant, prosecuting, described how the parties had known each other for around two years, having met while residing at the YMCA.
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Bartley, of Pigot Street, stopped "to say hello" before the complaisant asked for a lift to a shop on Cooper Street. Mr Wilson got out of the vehicle at this location, but the motorist "screeched off" with Ms Gray still inside.
Her boyfriend returned to King Street, where car pulled up around an hour later. Mr Wilson shouted for Ms Gray to get out and opened passenger door, but Bartley said: "She's not getting out, she's staying with me."
She exited the vehicle, but the driver sped off with her partner still holding the handle. He was dragged along the road as a result, suffering grazes and bruising.
Then, on May 27 2021, the couple heard that Bartley was "driving around in his car trying to find them" and were told he was armed with a spanner. They were again by the church when he arrived and said: "I'm going to kill you both".
He then drove at them, mounting the kerb. While they managed to jump out of the way, Mr Wilson was struck to his right-hand side - again causing bruising.
Bartley then drove away from the scene. In July 2021, he was handed a community order for drink driving after a third incident.
Michael Scholes, defending, said: "These incidents occurred at a time that Mr Bartley's life was out of control. He was effectively an alcoholic and was also abusing class A drugs and living in homeless hostels.
"He has dried out and his rid himself completely of his addiction to drugs. For the first time in a very long time, the defendant is in a position to have stability."
Bartley admitted two counts of dangerous driving and was jailed for 14 months. He was also banned from driving for 14 months and must pass an extended retest.
Sentencing, Recorder Mark Ainsworth said: "There are serious matters - any offence of dangerous driving where people sustained injury must be regarded as serious. Here, I must deal with two such offences in close succession involving the same people."
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