Drink-Fuelled 'Rage Driver' Jailed for Life After Christmas Day Murder Rampage
A violent driver who killed a man and deliberately rammed his car into multiple pedestrians during a drink-fuelled Christmas Day rampage in London's West End has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Anthony Gilheaney, 31, was convicted of murder and a series of other violent offences following a harrowing trial at the Old Bailey.
A Night of Unprovoked Violence
The court heard how Gilheaney, from Harlow in Essex, was in a state of "drunken rage" when he carried out a series of unprovoked attacks against five people in the early hours of 25 December 2024. The violence began shortly before 1am on Shaftesbury Avenue, W1, after police received reports of a car driving on the wrong side of the road before colliding with members of the public.
The fatal victim, 25-year-old Aidan Chapman, suffered catastrophic head injuries and tragically died in hospital on New Year's Eve. Three other pedestrians were struck by Gilheaney's high-powered Mercedes and required urgent hospital treatment from the London Ambulance Service.
Racist and Homophobic Targeting Alleged
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Gilheaney had targeted people for racist and homophobic reasons. The court heard disturbing details of how he knocked over Arif Khan before getting out of his car to physically attack him while screaming a racial slur. He also deliberately drove at Marcelo Basbus-Garcia and his partner, Miguel Waihrich, who were walking along the street holding hands after attending midnight mass.
Further along Shaftesbury Avenue, Gilheaney drove into Mr Chapman and his friend, Tyrone Itorho, in what prosecutors described as a deliberate and sustained campaign of violence.
Chaotic Sequence of Events
The trial revealed a chaotic sequence of events beginning when Gilheaney left a nightclub and "got into an argument with a complete stranger". He proceeded to punch another person and attack Hardeep Singh, a Sikh man, without provocation as he walked along Shaftesbury Avenue.
After getting into his car, Gilheaney began shouting abuse at Mr Khan, using offensive racial language. When Mr Khan confronted him, the defendant drove forward before reversing back, knocking him to the ground. Gilheaney then exited his vehicle to physically assault Mr Khan, throwing him to the pavement and kicking him.
Mr Singh returned with friends and found Gilheaney attacking Mr Khan in Archer Street. The group then beat the defendant up, an incident that was captured on the dashcam of an Uber driver whose vehicle Gilheaney subsequently rammed.
Erratic Driving and Dramatic Capture
Gilheaney then drove up and down the street, mounting the kerb and causing pedestrians to flee in panic. Following the attacks, police spotted his 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.
Officers later found him passed out in Lincoln's Inn Fields in Holborn, central London. At the scene, Gilheaney was described as tearful and apologetic, 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."
Contradictory Defence and Sentencing
During his trial, Gilheaney told jurors he had consumed up to six cans of a vodka cocktail mix before arriving at a bar that night and admitted he had driven before in a "tipsy" condition. He claimed a friend had spiked his vape with cannabis while they were in the club, which made him angry, but he was persuaded to stay.
The defendant claimed he was not in control of the vehicle after being attacked by a group of men earlier that night and insisted he did not intend to hurt anyone. However, when later formally interviewed by police, he claimed he could not remember anything or identify himself driving the car on CCTV footage.
Late in the trial, Gilheaney 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. However, 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.
Anthony Gilheaney has now been jailed for life and must serve a minimum sentence of 37 years before being considered for parole.
