A London court has imposed a life sentence with a 37-year minimum on a disqualified driver who unleashed a deadly vehicle assault across multiple West End locations during the early hours of Christmas 2024, striking five pedestrians and claiming one life.
The Old Bailey delivered its sentence Friday against Anthony Gilheaney, 32, of Harlow, Essex, following his December conviction on charges including murder, attempted murder, and grievous bodily harm with intent. The court heard evidence of a sustained attack pattern beginning approximately after midnight on December 25, 2024, spanning several streets in central London.
The rampage claimed the life of Aidan Chapman, 25, who sustained catastrophic brain injuries when struck and died December 31 in hospital. Four other victims survived with varying degrees of physical trauma and lasting psychological impact.
Mrs Justice McGowan, presiding over sentencing, emphasized the permanent toll on survivors and bereaved families. The judge rejected defense assertions that Gilheaney’s use of racial epithets during the attacks did not reflect genuine prejudice, stating he harbors deeply racist views toward Asian community members.
Evidence presented at trial detailed a sequence of confrontations and vehicular assaults across Shaftesbury Avenue, Archer Street, and surrounding areas. Prosecutors established that Gilheaney exited a nightclub in the early morning hours, engaged in unprovoked physical altercations with strangers, then entered his Mercedes and began targeting pedestrians.
Arif Khan became the first victim struck by vehicle after Gilheaney allegedly directed a racial slur at him. When Khan approached on foot to confront the driver, Gilheaney drove forward then reversed, knocking Khan down before exiting to physically assault him with kicks.
Additional victims included Marcelo Basbus-Garcia and Miguel Waihrich, partners who had attended midnight mass and were walking hand-in-hand when deliberately struck. Basbus-Garcia now requires a cane for mobility, while Waihrich, a chef by profession, has been informed he may never return to work. Basbus-Garcia told the court he believed he would die during the attack, describing the driver as showing no mercy.
Tyrone Itorho, friend to Chapman, was also deliberately targeted with the vehicle. Chapman’s mother, Yasemin Akcakoca, had been Christmas shopping with her son the day before the attack. His father Darren Chapman characterized Gilheaney as a monster demonstrating no remorse.
Dashcam footage from an Uber driver’s vehicle, which Gilheaney rammed, captured portions of the incident. Video showed Gilheaney driving repeatedly up and down streets, mounting kerbs and scattering panicked pedestrians.
Prior to the vehicular assaults, Gilheaney had assaulted Hardeep Singh, a Sikh pedestrian, without provocation while walking along Shaftesbury Avenue. Singh and companions later discovered Gilheaney attacking Khan and intervened physically, beating the defendant before he returned to his car and commenced the driving attacks.
Police pursuit ensued after officers observed erratic operation of Gilheaney’s vehicle. The defendant abandoned the moving car, which subsequently crashed into a signpost, and fled on foot. Officers located him unconscious at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn.
At the scene, Gilheaney reportedly expressed tearful apologies and admitted guilt to attending officers. However, during formal interviews, he claimed memory loss and inability to identify himself in CCTV footage.
Trial testimony revealed Gilheaney consumed up to six cans of vodka cocktail mix before arriving at the bar, and acknowledged previous instances of impaired driving. He claimed a companion spiked his vape with cannabis at the club, inducing anger, but said he was persuaded to remain. Gilheaney testified he was circling back to locate his pregnant girlfriend when the attacks occurred.
The defendant has never held a valid driving licence but acknowledged lifelong attraction to powerful vehicles. He admitted utilizing false number plates to evade detection for parking violations and other motoring offences. Court records show 40 previous convictions dating to 2008, beginning when he was 14, with multiple aliases.
Defense counsel James Scobie KC characterized Gilheaney as having lived a “feral existence” from youth, with cars central to his lifestyle. Scobie asserted genuine remorse exists, prompting visible disagreement from Chapman’s relatives in attendance.
Mrs Justice McGowan acknowledged Gilheaney’s difficult upbringing when determining sentence, which incorporated three additional charges to which he previously pleaded guilty: dangerous driving, causing death by driving while disqualified, and possession of a bladed article. A lifetime driving ban accompanies the prison term.
Crown Prosecution Service representative Samantha Yelland described the attacks as cowardly and horrifying, noting the defendant’s attempt throughout trial to deny intentionality despite evidence presented. Yelland stated the sentence reflects full gravity of the offending, including recognition that race and sexuality factored in victim selection.
The court acknowledged the trauma experienced by all victims and thanked those who testified about the terrifying incident. Proceedings concluded with Gilheaney taken into custody to begin serving his sentence.
