Speeding Birmingham driver hit JLR worker and covered up damage to Mercedes with prayer mat

A speeding driver ploughed into a pedestrian in Birmingham city centre then left him for dead and covered up damage to his Mercedes with a prayer mat. Manish Bhatoy struck the victim, who worked for Jaguar Land Rover^[1], on Islington Middleway in the early hours of November 13 2022.

At the time he was uninsured and travelling around 10mph over the limit, but he was not held criminally responsible for causing life-changing injuries to the man, who had not activated a nearby pedestrian crossing. However the 28-year-old fled the scene with a broken windscreen obscuring his view and ran a red light as he made his escape.

Instead of reporting the accident Bhatoy tried to belatedly insure his car and arrange for a windscreen repair. But because he had also fitted another registration plate to his vehicle Autoglass subsequently brought a windscreen which did not fit.

When police came to arrest him he was vacuuming up glass from inside the car. Bhatoy, from Mostyn Road, Handsworth^[3], who himself worked for JLR, initially lied claiming the Mercedes was damaged by a group of thugs with baseball bats who attacked his friend while he was using it.

But he ultimately admitted speeding, dangerous driving, driving while uninsured, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and perverting the course of justice. At Birmingham Crown Court^[4] on Monday, August 12 he was sentenced to 14 months and banned from driving for 16 months.

The collision took place around 3.18am on November 13 when the victim, in his 30s, was crossing Islington Middleway^[5]. Prosecutor David Iles said: "The traffic was light. The road has three carriageways. It is unknown as to why he didn't wait for or activate the green signal for him to cross safely."

A taxi driver who witnessed the collision claimed the victim jumped over the railings without using the crossing, the court heard. Mr Iles continued: "The defendant was driving a Mercedes A180 in the direction of Five Ways Island. His insurance had expired and he was driving unlawfully. His sobriety was unknown because he didn't stop at the scene as required."

The prosecutor stated Bhatoy was in lane one - 'kerb side' - and tried to emergency brake but struck the pedestrian who was 'catapulted into the air and landed face down on the carriageway'. Mr Iles said: "The defendant failed to stop as required by law. Thereafter the Mercedes changed lanes at the island and went through a red light.

"He was driving with greatly reduced visibility owing to the smashed windscreen which jeopardised other motorists and pedestrians for an unknown distance."

Explaining how Bhatoy perverted the course of justice he told the court: "The defendant had the smashed windscreen replaced and placed a fake number plate on the damaged car. The consequence of the wrong registration given to the Autoglass repairers, on their computer the registration plate gave the wrong sort of windscreen.

"When the repairer turned up the windscreen that was ordered didn't fit. He (Bhatoy) also attempted to obscure further damage to the wing with a prayer mat. The police attended the day after the incident and saw the defendant hoovering up smashed glass from inside."

The victim, a father of one, suffered a catastrophic brain injury and has been in hospital or care since the incident. He requires at least another 18 months in rehabilitation facilities with no prospect of being able to return to work at Jaguar Land Rover, where he was a supply chain manager with prospects of promotion.

Blondel Thompson, defending, stated Bhatoy had worked for Jaguar Land Rover himself up until last week and was the main breadwinner in his family. She said: "He is remorseful. In the conference I had with him he had just been crying at the way he behaved and the consequences for the complainant."

Judge Carmel Wall, passing sentence, said: "The injuries sustained were extremely serious. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures.

"The prognosis remains uncertain. Obviously those injuries have had a life-changing and devastating impact on him and also his family. There is no suggestion you are criminally responsible for causing those injuries.

"You don't face any charges which allege that. Another court in civil proceedings maybe asked to decide whether you were at fault to any extent of if that had any bearing on the pedestrian's injuries. It is not for me or this court to decide."

References

1. ^{^} Jaguar Land Rover (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Young dad broke his baby's ribs then told girlfriend 'he'll be okay' (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Handsworth (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^{^} Birmingham Crown Court (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Islington Middleway (www.birminghammail.co.uk)