Van driver drove at speed towards pedestrian in murder bid following altercation at pub

A van driver who tried to murder a pedestrian in an attack with his vehicle has been warned that he faces a lengthy jail sentence.

Josh Reynolds drove his van at speed towards the man and struck him with the vehicle before dragging him along the road and running over him as he lay on the ground.

A judge was shown footage of the attack which was captured on CCTV prompting Lord Scott to warn members of the public at the High Court in Edinburgh that if they did not want to see it they should leave the courtroom before the graphic film was screened.

Lord Scott told Reynolds: “Be in no doubt, a significant custodial sentence is going to be imposed for this.”

Reynolds, 28, admitted assaulting the victim to his severe injury and the danger of his life and attempting to murder him in the attack on September 26 last year at Clearburn Crescent, in Edinburgh.

The court heard that the roofer, of Easter Hermitage, Edinburgh, has previous convictions for violence, including assault to injury and danger of life, abduction, armed robbery with a knife and assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

Advocate depute David McDonald said on the evening of the attack, the victim was at the Grey Horse pub in Edinburgh’s Dalkeith Road when he encountered Reynolds.

The prosecutor said: “They became engaged in conversation. The conversation became intense and both parties escalated matters outside of the pub into a physical altercation.”

After the trouble, the man went home and got a kitchen knife and returned to the bar and brandished the weapon towards Reynolds.

Mr McDonald said: “A colleague of Reynolds raised a bar stool at [the victim] Reynolds threw unknown items in [his] direction and he was chased out of the pub.”

The man started to make his way home and Reynolds and his colleague returned to the pub before they later went to Reynolds’ white van which was parked nearby.

While on his way home, the man went into a shop on Prestonfield Avenue and bought a can of vodka and cola.

Mr McDonald said: “The shop worker recognised [the man] as a regular and noted that he appeared agitated or upset.”

He left the shop and went to cross the road when Reynolds approached in his van and accelerated towards him.

The prosecutor said: “The brakes of the van were applied, it slowed down, made a sharp right turn and struck [the man], who was pulled underneath.”

“He was subsequently dragged along the pavement and roadway for a short distance, before the van drove over him and made off without any effort to stop,” he said.

Members of the public who found the prone victim contacted emergency services and police arrived to find him groaning, but unresponsive. He was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and found to have fractured ribs and shoulder and injuries to his liver and spleen and underwent surgery.

Mr McDonald said: “[The victim] has little memory of the events of the evening in question.”

Police discovered that the registration number of the van was captured on CCTV, with Reynolds as the insured driver of the vehicle. The van was traced in Musselburgh and seized and officers found a can of vodka and cola lodged between the windscreen and bonnet.

Lord Scott said it was an “extremely serious charge” and deferred sentence on Reynolds for the preparation of a background report and risk assessment. He was remanded in custody.