Driver who killed man and hurt others in Christmas Day rampage guilty of murder

A driver who killed a man and mowed down others in a drink-fuelled rampage in London’s West End on Christmas Day has been convicted of murder.

Anthony Gilheaney, 31, faced trial at the Old Bailey over launching a series of unprovoked and violent attacks against five people in the early hours of December 25 2024, including using his high-powered Mercedes to hit and kill 25-year-old Aidan Chapman.

He also knocked over Arif Khan with his car before getting out to physically attack him after calling him a racial slur, and deliberately drove at three others: Marcelo Basbus-Garcia and his partner, Miguel Waihrich, and Mr Chapman’s friend, Tyrone Itorho – his trial was told.

The prosecution alleged he targeted people for racist and homophobic reasons, but Gilheaney told jurors he was not in control of the vehicle after he had been attacked by a group of men earlier that night, and that he did not intend to hurt anyone.

Late in the trial, the defendant, from Harlow, Essex, admitted the manslaughter of Mr Chapman, as well as unlawfully wounding Mr Khan, causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Basbus-Garcia and Mr Waihrich and assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mr Itorho.

He previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, dangerous driving and possessing a bladed article in a public place.

But he denied murder, wounding with intent, three counts of attempted murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm throughout.

The jury convicted him on Friday of murdering Mr Chapman, attempting to murder Mr Basbus-Garcia and Mr Itorho and wounding Mr Khan with intent.

He was cleared of attempting to murder Mr Waihrich but convicted of the alternative charge of causing him grievous bodily harm with intent.

He will be sentenced on January 30.

After the conviction, Mr Chapman’s family said: “No parent should have to go through the hellish trauma of losing a child, words cannot describe the pain and anguish Anthony Gilheaney has caused us by his evil actions.

“No amount of justice or prison time will ever be enough to compensate for our loss.

“Gilheaney has taken the best part of us. He has left us with a dark void in our lives that can never be filled.

“He took our only son from us. Something we will never get over. Something we will never forgive.”

Gilheaney left a nightclub in the early hours of Christmas Day 2024 and got into an argument with a complete stranger, punched another stranger and attacked Hardeep Singh, a Sikh man, unprovoked as he walked along Shaftesbury Avenue, the trial heard.

He then got into his car and started shouting abuse at Mr Khan, calling him a “P***”.

When Mr Khan went into the street to confront Gilheaney, the defendant drove forward before reversing back, knocking him to the ground.

Gilheaney got out of the car and attacked Mr Khan, throwing him to the ground and kicking him.

Mr Singh returned with friends and found Gilheaney in the process of attacking Mr Khan in Archer Street before he and his group beat the defendant up, the court heard.

The incident was recorded on the dashcam of an Uber driver, whose vehicle Gilheaney rammed into after he got into his own car.

The defendant then drove up and down the street, mounting the kerb and causing pedestrians to flee in panic.

He drove at Mr Basbus-Garcia and Mr Waihrich who were walking along the street holding hands, having been to midnight mass and, further along Shaftesbury Avenue, driving into Mr Chapman and Mr Itorho.

Mr Chapman was hit full on, suffering catastrophic brain damage, and died in hospital on New Year’s Eve.

Following the attacks, police spotted Gilheaney’s erratic driving and gave chase.

The defendant eventually jumped out of his moving car and ran off, leaving the vehicle to smash into a signpost.

Police later found him passed out in Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn, central London.

Gilheaney was said to have been tearful and apologetic to police at the scene, telling one officer: “I hold my hands up, I don’t care… I am sorry for everything I have ever done. I will admit to everything. I am guilty. I am sorry.”

But when he was later formally interviewed, he claimed he could not remember anything or identify himself driving the car on CCTV camera footage.

Gilheaney told jurors he had drunk up to six cans of a vodka cocktail mix before he arrived at a bar that night and admitted he had driven before in a “tipsy” condition.

He said a friend spiked his vape with cannabis while they were in the club which made him angry but he was persuaded to stay.

He was drunk when midnight came and left soon afterwards, explaining that he was later circling back to find his pregnant girlfriend.

Gilheaney, who has never had a driving licence but told the court he has “always” liked being at the wheel of powerful cars, accepted that his motoring history is “shocking”.

It has included dangerous driving and, since he did not have a licence, Gilheaney also said he used false number plates to help cover his tracks whenever parking tickets or other offences triggered interest in the vehicle.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley said: “Throughout the investigation, he has refused to acknowledge the seriousness of his offences, making every attempt to portray himself as a troubled victim.

“I commend the jury for seeing through this act.”