A driver has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder following a horrific, drink-fuelled rampage through London's West End on Christmas Day 2024.
A Spree of Unprovoked Violence
Anthony Gilheaney, 31, from Harlow, Essex, was convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering 25-year-old Aidan Chapman and attempting to murder two other men. The jury heard how Gilheaney, who had never held a driving licence, used his high-powered Mercedes as a weapon in a series of deliberate attacks in the early hours of 25 December.
He had already admitted to manslaughter and a string of other violent offences, but denied the more serious charges of murder and attempted murder, claiming he was not in control of his vehicle. The jury rejected his defence, convicting him on Friday, 19 December 2025.
The Sequence of Hate-Fuelled Attacks
The court was told the night began with Gilheaney leaving a nightclub and launching unprovoked assaults. He attacked a Sikh man, Hardeep Singh, on Shaftesbury Avenue before getting into his car. He then targeted Arif Khan, shouting a racial slur at him, knocking him down with the car, and then getting out to physically assault him.
After a group of men, including Mr Singh, retaliated and beat Gilheaney, the situation escalated dramatically. Gilheaney got back into his Mercedes and deliberately rammed an Uber vehicle, the confrontation captured on dashcam. He then drove erratically along the street, mounting the kerb and targeting pedestrians.
He drove at Marcelo Basbus-Garcia and his partner, Miguel Waihrich, who were walking hand-in-hand after midnight mass. Further along Shaftesbury Avenue, he struck Aidan Chapman and his friend, Tyrone Itorho. Mr Chapman suffered catastrophic injuries and died in hospital on New Year's Eve.
Justice Served and a Family's Anguish
Following the attacks, police spotted Gilheaney's erratic driving and gave chase. He eventually jumped from his moving car and was later found passed out in Holborn. At the scene, he was tearful and apologetic to officers, stating, "I am sorry for everything I have ever done. I will admit to everything. I am guilty."
In a statement after the verdict, Aidan Chapman's family said: "No parent should have to go through the hellish trauma of losing a child... He took our only son from us. Something we will never get over. Something we will never forgive."
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley said Gilheaney had "refused to acknowledge the seriousness of his offences, making every attempt to portray himself as a troubled victim," and commended the jury for seeing through this act. Gilheaney will be sentenced on 30 January.
