A driver jailed for deliberately running over a pedestrian he thought was holding up traffic has previously been convicted of terror offences.
Shahid Ali sped off after driving over Patrick Colbert’s head and his body in his Mercedes in Balsall Heath, Birmingham.
The 43-year-old, who dumped his car after the incident on July 11 last year, was acquitted of attempting to murder Mr Colbert but was convicted of causing him grievous bodily harm with intent.
But it has now emerged Ali, of Washwood Heath, Birmingham, had a previous conviction for assisting in acts of terrorism.
He was jailed for 27 months in 2009 for his involvement in sending four loads of equipment between 2004 and 2006 to Pakistan to be used against British forces and their allies fighting in Afghanistan.
He had previously admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Birmingham Crown Court.
Ali was told by Judge Paul Farrer QC: ‘You have been convicted of a very serious offence by the jury, one which will inevitably carry many years of imprisonment.’
In sentencing Ali to 12 years in jail, he said; ‘You were angry and I have no doubt that you shouted and swore at Mr Colbert, in effect telling him to get out of the road.’
He said the victim had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury with hemorrhaging over his brain and that the effects on him had been ‘profound and continuing.’
And he went on ‘This offence involved the deliberate use of a car as a weapon.’
It was also an aggravating feature, he said, that afterwards he had tried to remove and obscure evidence by wiping his vehicle.
The judge also banned Ali from driving for 15 and a half years.
Birmingham Crown Court heard previously that the victim, an Irish national, had come to the city to celebrate his 35th birthday.
He had approached a car on Brighton Road, Moseley near to the junction with Moseley Road on July 11 last year.
At the time traffic was heavy and slow moving.
Ali was driving a Mercedes and believed the victim, who was speaking to the driver of the vehicle in front, was responsible for him not moving.
He drove up along side Mr Colbert, wound down his window and shouted at him, the court heard.
Ali then deliberately turned hard right knocking the pedestrian over and causing him to hit his head on the ground.
But he didn’t stop and continued to drive over him slowly passing over the victim’s groin, chest and head.
Zoe McCarthy, 23, a student at Oxford Brookes university, captured the terrifying incident on her GoPro camera as she rode home from work.
She said: ‘It happened so quickly. The man was standing in the street and talking to a driver through the window of his car.
‘The man in the Mercedes behind was impatient and started shouting. He reversed and drove over him.
‘It was shocking. I couldn’t believe it was happening. The car just drove off while the man lay in the street.’
In the footage, the victim can be seen crumpled underneath the wheels of the car as Zoe immediately reacts to the brutal attack.
She is heard screaming: ‘Oh s***, what the f*** are you doing? Oh God. Somebody get the police. What the f***? Are you joking? Someone just f***ing run him over, the d*******.’
She climbs off her bike and runs to the man’s aid as he lies motionless in the street and the motorist in the Mercedes drives away.
She screams after him: ‘I’ve got you on f****** camera, you t***.’
Ali then drove off from the scene and later dumped his car.
Ali was one of four men from Birmingham jailed for the plot in 2009 for supplying it such as computer parts, mobile phones and camping gear to insurgents.
Other members of the gang included Mohammed Nadim, of Bardsley Green, who was jailed for three years and Shabir Mohammed, who was jailed for two years, four months.
Abdul Raheem, 32, pleaded guilty to failing to disclose information on terrorism and was jailed for a year.
During the trial at the Old Bailey jurors were told the four were members of a terror cell run by Parviz Khan, who was jailed in 2008 for life for plotting to kidnap and behead a soldier.
Nadim, Ali and Mohammed helped Khan send four shipments containing 86 boxes between April 2006 and February 2007.
They were arrested in October 2008 following a ‘long and painstaking investigation’ by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.
Members of the cell would buy items from the Argos catalogue and supermarkets such as Netto and Lidl.
Balaclavas and thermal clothing would be included with computer software and night-vision binoculars, the court heard.
The shipments were described as household items, relief aid and charity donations.
Mr Atkinson said tens of thousands of pounds had been collected from people who were duped into thinking they were helping earthquake victims. The money was then used to buy the equipment.
In a statement Mr Colbert said as a result of the injuries to his head, he struggled to say some words, had problems with his memory and may never be able to work again.
He said he had to wear a special hat when he went out as protection which made him feel embarrassed and that he suffered from very bad headaches.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5633415/Driver-ran-pedestrians-head-jailed-12-years.html#ixzz5DABDxtgx
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He has no regard for human life. Hang the son-of-a-bitch.
15 years is a slap on the wrist, but this is England, which is a nation of wrist-slappers.
Bomb that dudes country some more. That ought to teach him, and all his friends a lesson. Then, give them a free ticket to a fresh new country, a new house, maybe even a new Mercedes. That will show him who is boss!