Driver mounted pavement and mowed down student following fight outside Rock City

A young driver deliberately mounted a pavement and mowed down a university student in Nottingham city centre before speeding off away from the scene. A packed courtroom at Nottingham Crown Court watched shocking CCTV of Mohammed Alam hunting down his victim and sending him flying over the bonnet of his VW Golf.

The first year Nottingham Trent law and business student he hit, Aiden Shepherd, who had just left Rock City, was left so badly injured he required skin grafts and could not walk for months following surgery. And in an impact statement, he told how he missed out not just on both studies but also his love of playing rugby for the university team.

Sending Alam to prison on what was his 26th birthday, Judge Mark Watson said: “This was a deliberate piece of driving showing you mounting the kerb and accelerating towards the group. You used your car as a weapon. A highly dangerous weapon. This was a disgraceful act in the city centre."

Dan Church, prosecuting, said the incident took place at 2.45am on October 27, 2023. He said the victim was leaving Rock City following a night out when one of his friends tapped on the roof of Alam’s VW which stopped.

The prosecutor played footage of Alam, his older brother Parvaz and a third man, get out and begin fighting with the victim's group as shocked onlookers ran. In the clips, the security staff break up the violence but it continued towards the junction of Goldsmith Street in which the victim’s group then walked down to go home.

In the footage, Alam’s group get back into the VW which is then seen to turn left down the tram track, mount the pavement outside the Chaucer building and mow down the victim. The footage then shows the victim, who was in court with his father at this week’s hearing, fly in the air and land on the pavement. The force of the collision was such that the nearside headlight was smashed and Alam is then seen speeding off at nearly 60mph away from the scene, leaving his victim lying there.

Mr Church said: “Having relentlessly pursued Mr Shepherd to this point he then drove off leaving him, reaching speeds of 58mph in a 30mph limit, jumping a red light and driving down Goldsmith Street which is only meant for trams.

“Mr Shepherd required surgery which required a skin graft from his right leg to his left thigh. In his victim impact statement he told how being the only person to be struck by the car was 'luck as he was aiming for the whole group of us'. He said ‘after surgery I could not walk for months and the scarring meant I no longer wear shorts.

“‘The most difficult part for me was missing out playing rugby for NTU but through my determination and drive I am making a recovery.” Alam, of Pembridge Close, Basford, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving and affray. He was jailed for three years and 10 months.

Gareth Gimson, his barrister, said: “He has no previous convictions and he turns 26 today. It is remarkable how that blink of an eye can expose others and turn his own life upside down.” Older brother Parvaz Alam, 29, of the same address, pleaded guilty to affray and was handed a two-year community order, with 100 hours unpaid work.

He was also rendered to pay £500 compensation and £500 costs. As well as the jail sentence, his younger brother was disqualified from driving for 12 months after his released from prison.