Life imprisonment for driver in Christmas Day West End murder spree
A motorist who killed a man and deliberately targeted pedestrians during a violent, alcohol-fuelled rampage through London's West End on Christmas Day 2024 has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 37 years.
Violent attacks on multiple victims
Anthony Gilheaney, 32, from Harlow in Essex, was convicted of murdering 25-year-old Aidan Chapman plus four counts of attempted murder following a trial at the Old Bailey. The court heard how Gilheaney used his high-powered Mercedes as a weapon in the early hours of December 25th 2024, deliberately driving at pedestrians in what prosecutors described as attacks motivated by racism and homophobia.
Gilheaney knocked over Arif Khan with his vehicle before exiting the car to physically assault him after using a racial slur. He then deliberately targeted Marcelo Basbus-Garcia and his partner Miguel Waihrich as they walked hand-in-hand after attending midnight mass, before driving into Mr Chapman and his friend Tyrone Itorho further along Shaftesbury Avenue.
Catastrophic consequences for victims
Mr Chapman suffered catastrophic brain injuries when struck by Gilheaney's vehicle and died in hospital on New Year's Eve. In a victim impact statement read to the court, his mother Yasemin Akcakoca described her son as "funny, caring, and full of life" with qualities that "made everyone who knew him love him." His father Darren Chapman told the court: "Anthony Gilheaney is a monster. He has shown no remorse for what he has done."
Dr Basbus-Garcia, who now requires a cane to walk, stated in his written testimony: "I thought I was going to die; the driver had no mercy." His partner Mr Waihrich, a chef by profession, has been informed he may never work again due to injuries sustained in the attack.
Defendant's background and behaviour
The court heard that Gilheaney had consumed up to six cans of vodka cocktail before arriving at a West End bar that evening and admitted to previously driving while "tipsy." Despite never holding a driving licence, he told the court he had "always" enjoyed driving powerful vehicles and had a history of dangerous driving offences.
Gilheaney attempted to claim during his trial that he had lost control of his vehicle after being attacked earlier that night and did not intend to harm anyone. However, Mrs Justice McGowan rejected this defence, stating: "He holds deeply racist attitudes towards Asian members of the public" and that his use of racist language demonstrated genuine prejudice.
Police pursuit and arrest
Following the attacks, police officers spotted Gilheaney's erratic driving and initiated a pursuit. The defendant eventually abandoned his moving vehicle, which subsequently crashed into a signpost. Officers later discovered him unconscious in Lincoln's Inn Fields in Holborn.
Initially tearful and apologetic at the scene, telling one officer "I hold my hands up, I don't care... I am sorry for everything I have ever done," Gilheaney later claimed during formal interviews that he could not remember the incidents or identify himself in CCTV footage.
Sentencing and judicial remarks
Mrs Justice McGowan, sentencing Gilheaney at the Old Bailey, stated: "Aidan Chapman's death is at the centre of these proceedings and the loss to his family and friends is at the front of the court's mind. Their lives and the lives of all the other affected have been permanently altered by the defendant's behaviour that night."
The 37-year minimum term incorporates three charges to which Gilheaney had previously pleaded guilty:
- Dangerous driving
- Causing death by driving while disqualified
- Possession of a bladed article
Gilheaney has also been disqualified from driving for life and has accumulated 40 previous convictions dating back to when he was 14 years old.
Prosecution response
Samantha Yelland, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, commented: "Anthony Gilheaney carried out a cowardly and horrifying attack. He was a disqualified driver who got behind the wheel drunk and used his car as a weapon to deliberately mow down innocent people who were out enjoying the festivities on Christmas Day. Today's sentence reflects the full gravity of his offending."
The prosecution successfully argued that Gilheaney had targeted some victims specifically because of their race and sexuality, factors which were reflected in the severity of the sentence imposed.
