A 27-year-old man has been found not guilty of attempted murder after he drove at people standing outside a pub.

Bradley Knapp, who fled to Tenerife after driving his car at pubgoers has been acquitted of trying to kill them.

A jury at Maidstone Crown Court found the 27 year-old not guilty on two attempted murder charges by majority.

Knapp had used a car as a weapon after a bust up in a Dartford pub ploughing into the group and injuring two of them.

The incident happened on October 11, 2019 near the Clipper Public House in a pedestrian-only zone when two men were injured after being struck by a blue Ford Fiesta.

The driver Knapp, went on the run after the late night incident and fled to Tenerife. He was eventually extradited after being arrested by Spanish police.

Earlier he had admitted causing grievous bodily harm to one of the men, Callum Walpole, but denied two charges of attempting murder.

He will now be sentenced on October 5 following a probation report on what danger he poses to the public. He will receive a "substantial" jail sentence, he was told.

The jury was shown footage of the moment the vehicle struck the group - "flinging" one of the victims over another parked car.

It was part of a 14 minute 37 second compilation of incidents which took place in and near the pub.

Prosecutor Simon Taylor QC told the jury: "This took place in a pedestrian zone and was a deliberate act of aggression. He accelerated, speeding towards a group of pedestrians, the car being used as a deadly weapon."

Knapp had been caught on camera entering the pub with two women and walking past pub goer Sean O'Flaherty, who was dancing with other people.

He was then shown getting into the driver's seat and after successfully negotiating bollards near the pedestrian zone and accelerating towards the group - before ploughing into a parked Mercedes.

The prosecutor said some of the people managed to jump out of the way but Mr Walpole "was flipped into the air and landed on the other side of a parked car. Mr Sayer was clipped and fell to the ground."

Knapp, who had been living in Gravesend at the time, said: "I was in a rage. I had been glassed. It all happened so quickly. There were multiple men coming from all directions. I believe I threw and received punches.

"I wanted to drive at them. I was in a panic. I wanted to get Sam and me out of the situation. I wanted to hurt them but I didn't want to kill them. I had just been attacked."

Defence barrister Danny Moore asked if, during the four seconds of driving, did he think of the consequences.

He replied: "I didn't want to kill anyone. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in jail. I remember the car hitting the first person. I don't remember hitting the second person.

"I feel horrible, remorseful. I drove a car to hurt someone but not to kill anyone."

He was remanded in custody until October.

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