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Man drives car onto dancefloor 'after threatening to kill nightclub bouncers', court hears

Eight people injured after Mohammed Abdul drives his Suzuki Vitara into Blake's nightclub in Kent, court hears

Tuesday 18 September 2018 14:36 BST
Blake's nightclub in Gravesend, the day after the incident
Blake's nightclub in Gravesend, the day after the incident

A man drove his car onto a crowded dancefloor and threatened to kill bouncers after he was thrown out of a nightclub, a court has been told.

Eight people were injured when Mohammed Abdul, 21, became intent on causing “carnage and death to anyone who was in his way” after he was kicked out of Blake’s nightclub in Gravesend, Kent for being too drunk.

Mr Abdul had been in the Queen Street venue for around three hours before he was ejected, at around 11.40pm on 17 March.

Upon being removed from the nightclub, he threatened bouncers, telling a doorman: “If I can’t come in, I’m going to come back and shut this place down and kill you guys.”

He returned 10 minutes later in his Suzuki Vitara and drove “at speed” down a narrow alleyway by the side of the club, with door staff and clubbers jumping or being pulled out of the way, prosecutor Simon Taylor said.

The alleyway houses a marquee attached to the club with a dancefloor and DJ booth, and was filled with revellers to see grime rapper Giggs.

Despite the efforts of door staff, Mr Abdul drove some way down the alleyway, stopped for nine seconds to make up his mind, then accelerated into the marquee, Mr Taylor said.

Jurors saw CCTV footage of a vehicle crashing through the marquee, knocking several people to the floor before attempting to reverse away only to be blocked by clubbers.

Mr Taylor said: “It was a determined and indiscriminate effort to cause carnage and death to anyone who was in his way.

“Mercifully, and no thanks to the defendant, death was not caused by his driving, but serious injury was.

“The Crown says there was plainly an intention to kill here.”

Doorman Grzegorz Perzanowski told the court, using a Polish translator, he had escorted Mr Abdul out of the club after a group of girls complained about him touching them and being intoxicated.

Later, the doorman said, he remembered “spinning several times in the air” after jumping onto the car’s bonnet to avoid being knocked down.

Mr Abdul, from southeast London, is on trial for attempted murder. He accepts he was the driver of the vehicle and has admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, jurors heard.

He has denied two counts of attempting to murder persons in the vicinity of the club, and an alternative charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

He also denies two counts of causing grievous bodily harm.

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