Bryan Southern, 55, ‘lost it’ outside Taco Bell and ploughed his car into another man, after the pair tried to resolved an issue ‘amicably’
A dad-of-six “lost it” outside a Taco Bell and has now been thrown in jail.
Bryan Southern, 55, had planned to meet another dad, who sons were allegedly bullying his own kid. The dad arranged to meet to “resolved it amicably” but their meeting descended into a horror show of violence. Southern had allegedly been knocked unconscious then got into his car. The 55-year-old drove his car directly at the other dad but smashed into a lamppost, before having a “second go” at him right outside a branch of Taco Bell in Kirkby, Merseyside, at around 12.30pm on July 20.
READ MORE: Judge called ‘b***end’ in courtroom outburst as man is jailed for 21 yearsREAD MORE: Cheating wife and lover guilty of evil murder plot to kill her husband
Southern travelled to the Taco Bell car park and complainant Andrew Sanders arrived shortly after, in his own vehicle. The 55-year-old was then said to have confronted the other man but was “knocked to the ground”, Liverpool Crown Court heard on Thursday afternoon.
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, said Sanders went on to “produce a hammer from the boot of his car” before being hit himself. The court heard how the two mens’ sons meanwhile made attempts to smash the wing mirrors of either car, according to the Liverpool Echo.
Hopkins said: “The defendant will say that his son was the victim of bullying by Mr Sanders’ sons. The crown accept that the defendant genuinely perceived his son to be the victim of whatever happened. That is the background to this, and no doubt why he went to the scene. To be blunt, the defendant lost it.
“The crown would describe that it was all pretty much 50/50. There was a fight going on, in short, before the defendant decided to get in his car. Almost immediately, he drove at speed at Mr Sanders, running him over.
“He almost pinned him under one of the front wheels of his car. The defendant then reversed and had a second go, either at Mr Sanders or his son. He could have really easily caused serious harm. The fact that he did not is, the prosecution say, by pure chance.”
CCTV showed Southern’s car stopping only when it crashed into a lamppost, ripping the front bumper off, after sending Sanders sprawling to the floor, leaving him with abrasions to his legs. He left the scene and was later found but failed to stop for police. Travelling at 50mph in a 30mph zone, he was said to have gone through two sets of red lights before pulling over.
Matthew O’Neill, defending, told the court: “There have been ongoing incidents of bullying by the victim’s son towards the defendant’s son.” He added: “The defendant got to a point that, when this incident took place, when he had arranged to meet the complainant to resolve it amicably, it clearly went from nought to 60 in a matter of seconds.”
O’Neill added: “He has said to me that the effects of that punch, the emotion going through his mind and what had been going on led him into the very serious position and wrong decision to get behind the wheel of his car and drive towards the victim. Very fortunately, serious injury was avoided.”
Southern admitted attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm with intent and dangerous driving and was jailed for 30 months. He was also disqualified from driving for three years and three months.
