Croydon driver tried to run over customers after fight inside Lewisham bar

A man who mounted a pavement to try to run over his victims has been sentenced – and also pleaded guilty to money laundering hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash.

The court heard how Shaquille Wokoh, 24, from Croydon, deliberately mounted the pavement and drove at pedestrians in an attempt to do serious injury.

Wokoh was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Monday, 26 March, to eight years in prison.

He had been convicted at the same court on Tuesday, 27 February, after a five-day-trial.

The jury had unanimously found him guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, dangerous driving and assault by beating

Wokoh was sentenced to: six years for GBH; 18 months for dangerous driving; and, three months for assault by beating – all to run concurrently.

Wokoh had also pleaded guilty at the same court, on Monday, 12 March, to money laundering after more than £100, 000 in cash was found at his home.

He was sentenced for this offence to two years in prison, to run consecutively.

The assault followed Wokoh getting into a fight in the Mekan Bar & Restaurant on Bromley Road, Bellingtham, on 16 September 2017.

Wokoh had been involved in a fight in the bar and after being ejected immediately made for his car which was parked nearby.

Then, at about 3am he used this car, a Volkswagen Golf, to deliberately drive at partygoers who were leaving the venue.

It is believed that the man Wokoh had been fighting with earlier was in the crowd, and Wokoh drove forward onto the footway, appearing to be totally reckless about who he hit.

CCTV recorded him striking a man and seemingly knocking him unconscious. He also endangered the lives of numerous other people on the pavement.

Police were alerted to the incident by Lewisham council CCTV operators

Officers attended but were faced with a crowd who told them nothing had occurred and no victim was identified.

However, as police had CCTV of the incident, an immediate investigation was started to find the person responsible.

On 5 October 2017, the suspect Golf drove past Catford police station and the car was stopped by police, with Wokoh driving it.

He was arrested for attempted murder and also money laundering, as he had approximately £1,800 on him in the car.

A subsequent search of his home recovered £114,555 in cash, which Wokoh had accrued through his criminal lifestyle.

Wokoh was charged on 6 October 2017 and remanded in custody.

PC Gary Sanders Gary, from Lewisham Borough, said: “This was a deliberate use of a car as a deadly weapon. It was only by luck that no one was killed or suffered serious injuries. Wokoh was clearly enraged that night and in the heat of the moment launched an attack against those responsible.

“As a result of the investigation, Wokoh was found to have accrued thousands of pounds by criminal activity; forensic tests of the money we recovered showed abnormally high traces of heroin. This money has now been seized and can be used to help, and not harm, communities.”