Two men have been found guilty of attempting to kill a man in a hit-and-run at a south Essex station.

 

Joshua Littlechild, 25, of Delphian Way, Bishops Stortford, and Joshua Lloyd, 28, of Oak Green, Billericay, were found guilty of attempted murder at Basildon Crown Court on Monday.

The court heard how, on March 18 just after 1am, the victim and his friends were heading to the taxi rank outside Billericay railway station after a night out when the victim became involved in an altercation with Littlechild and Lloyd.   

The two groups split, with the victim and his friends walking back towards the station to get a taxi as planned.

The court heard Littlechild and Lloyd encountered the group again who allegedly surrounded their car with the victim approaching with his “hands down his trousers”.

Littlechild said: “That’s when I panicked, I was trying to get away from an aggressive situation and acted rashly.”

A white Ford Fiesta, driven by Littlechild, then drove at pace towards the group, hitting the victim before driving off.

The victim was left with a critical brain injury and required multiple surgeries to repair the damage. He reportedly suffers from severe headaches, struggles to remain balance and has severe cognitive issues. He also has no short-term memory and struggles to recognise his newborn baby.

He requires constant supervision which has had a huge strain on his family, British Transport Police says. 

During the hearing, it was confirmed the Ford Fiesta was stolen, and Littlechild had purchased it for a “few hundred pounds” and could not lock or unlock it.

It was also confirmed in court that Littlechild pleaded guilty to section 18 GBH and aggravated vehicle taking prior to the attempted murder trial taking place.

The car was located a short distance from Lloyd’s address during the investigation. Lloyd was arrested at his home address on March 18, and Littlechild was arrested three days later in the Newcastle area. Upon arrest he was found with a suitcase and his passport.

Investigating British Transport Police officer, Detective Sergeant Marc Farmer, said: “This was a cowardly attack whereby the two suspects used a motor car to attempt to kill to the victim. The victim attempted to get out of the way of the car but had no room to escape.

“The defendants have shown no remorse and the victim has suffered life changing injuries.

“This is a sad case whereby a minor scuffle has dramatically changed the lives of all involved.

“My team of dedicated officers worked tirelessly, under the skilled leadership of DCI Painter, to obtain all possible evidence to ensure a conviction. I would also like to thank the uniform officers both British Transport Police and Essex Police, and emergency services colleagues, who attended what was an extremely traumatic scene.

“I hope this result goes some way to providing the victim and his family closure so that they can begin moving on with their lives.”