A 30-year-old man has been charged with four counts of attempted murder after four pedestrians were hit by a car in London’s West End on Christmas Day.
Anthony Gilheaney will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court today and has also been charged with causing serious injury by driving whilst disqualified, driving a motor vehicle dangerously and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Metropolitan Police officers were called at 0.45am on Wednesday after reports of a collision and a car driving on the wrong side of the road on Shaftesbury Avenue.
Four pedestrians were taken to hospital after the incident in the capital’s theatre district, and one of them remained in critical condition in hospital today.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said: ‘The suspect was arrested within minutes of his violent attack in the early hours of Christmas Day in Central London.
‘Since then, investigators have worked tirelessly to build the case and have today charged Anthony Gilheaney with four counts of attempted murder.
‘Our thoughts now are with the victims, one of which remains in critical condition in hospital.’
Police previously said they believed the suspect was ‘involved in an altercation at a nightclub prior to getting in his car and mounting the pavement’.
They added that it had ‘been confirmed as an isolated incident which is not terror-related’.
Blood and items of clothing including a jacket, shoes and a hat were strewn across the pavement in front of a Caffe Concerto on Wednesday.
Forensic officers could be seen bagging up shoes and other items of clothing from the pavement.
The police cordon stretched between the Gielgud Theatre, where the musical Oliver is performed, and Sondheim Theatre, home to Les Miserables.
A further police cordon was on Archer Street and Great Windmill Street, covering the Windmill Soho nightclub and other venues in the Soho area.
Anyone with information is asked to call officers on 101 or post @MetCC ref CAD 233 of December 25.
More to follow