Man who mowed down London pedestrians on Christmas Day convicted of murder

A man who turned his car into a weapon as he launched a series of hate-filled homophobic and racist attacks on Christmas Day last year in central London has been convicted of murder.

Anthony Gilheaney, 31, was drunk when he mounted the pavement with his Mercedes and repeatedly targeted people to run over.

He was convicted of the murder of Aiden Chapman, 25, who sustained catastrophic brain injuries after being struck by Gilheaney’s car. A couple on their way home from midnight mass were also attacked in the early hours of Christmas Day 2024 in London’s West End.

Miguel Waihrich ran over to his partner, who was bleeding and unconscious, and saw the car returning. He told the court: “He [Gilheaney] stopped and looked at me. He is coming in my direction, I try to make signs, gesture and say: ‘Stop it, please.’ The car doesn’t stop and accelerated towards us, and I decided to protect Marcelo’s head with my body as a shield. I’m just counting the seconds before the final attack.”

The prosecutor, Crispin Aylett KC, said the attack on Waihrich and Basbus-Garcia was “clearly a homophobic attack”. Afterwards, Gilheaney ploughed into Chapman and his friend Tyrone Itorho as they crossed Shaftesbury Avenue

Minutes before the rampage, Gilheaney, who had been drinking heavily, shouted racial abuse at an Asian man before driving into him, then getting out of his car and attacking him.

He also crashed into a taxi, then mounted the pavement where a family pushing a child in a pushchair had to run to get out of the way. Three people escaped by pinning themselves against a wall.

A truly horrific case and read.

Gilheaney faces a mandatory life sentence and the judge will decide on 30 January the minimum term he must serve before release can be considered.