Video: CCTV footage shows moment van driver hit pedestrian in Ipswich car park – van driver jailed for 12 years

Jaroslaw Inczewski (Image: Archant)

A van driver deliberately drove at a man in an Ipswich town centre car park resulting in him landing on the bonnet and being thrown several feet on to the ground.

Sentencing Jaroslaw Inczewski to 12 years in prison, Judge John Holt said today the attack was motivated by revenge following a row with a group of men shortly before outside a shop in Norwich Road, Ipswich.

“You decided on revenge and followed them in your van and found them walking across a car park. You drove into that car park at high speed and drove at three men.”

He said two of the men managed to move out of the way but a third man, Marcin Obuchowicz was struck by the van.

“He went up in the air on to the bonnet of your vehicle and was thrown several feet on to the ground. It is a matter of remarkable good fortune his injuries although significant were not catastrophic. You then reversed and drove off,” said Judge Holt.

Inczewski, 31, of Geneva Road, Ipswich, had denied attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Obuchowicz on July 14 last year in a car park in South Street, Ipswich but was found guilty by a jury after a trial at Ipswich Crown Court last month. He had admitted dangerous driving and failing to report an accident.

Sentence was adjourned until today for a pre-sentence report.

In addition to jailing Inczewski for 12 years Judge Holt banned him from driving for five years.

Giving evidence during his trial Inczewski claimed he had been punched following an incident at a Polish shop in Norwich Road .

He got into his van and went after the men involved in the earlier altercation to ask why he had been assaulted but as he followed the group, he felt dizzy and disorientated and had blacked out causing him to lose control of the van. He said when he regained consciousness he saw a man in front of him holding what appeared to be a brick and feared for his life.

He braked as soon as he saw the man but had hit him with the van. He opened his window to see if the man was alright but his friends had run over and threatened to kill him at which stage he reversed and drove off.

Simon Gladwell for Inczewski said Mr Obuchowicz had suffered grazes to his arms and bruising to his knee.

He said the incident in the car park happened after Inczewski had been assaulted.

Speaking after the sentencing, detective constable Donna Whelan-Smith, of Suffolk Constabulary, said: “This was a serious incident in which a transit style van was driven directly at a group of pedestrians.

“It was witnessed by independent members of the public and their accounts state that there was a clear intent to cause serious injury.

“This could have quite easily resulted in the victim sustaining broken bones or even have been fatal, and it is pleasing that the sentence reflects the severity of this.”