A 40-year-old man, William Lewis, has been sentenced to eleven and a half years in prison after a dramatic carjacking incident in Birmingham last November left a man seriously injured.
In November of last year, Lewis stole a vehicle from the forecourt of a petrol station on Chester Road in Tyburn. The owner of the car was in the process of filling his tyres with air when Lewis forcefully climbed into the driver’s seat and attempted to drive away with the vehicle.
During the getaway, the car’s owner was tragically run over and dragged for a significant distance under the fleeing vehicle. Lewis eventually stopped the car, exited, and pulled the victim from underneath before abandoning him. The assault left the car owner with life-changing injuries, from which he is still recovering.
Authorities launched an extensive CCTV operation, gathering footage from the petrol station and surrounding areas to identify and track Lewis. The stolen car was later discovered abandoned in Chelmsley Wood, where Lewis had been evading capture. His attempts to avoid arrest were unsuccessful, leading police to trace him to an address in Chelmsley Wood.
Upon apprehension, Lewis assaulted two police officers and continued his abusive behavior upon arrival at the custody block. He was reported to have repeatedly used profanity towards officers and refused to cooperate during interviews.
Further investigations revealed that Lewis had a history of car thefts in Yardley and Solihull, as well as a previous burglary in Birmingham. These revelations contributed to the severity of his sentencing.
Lewis was brought before Birmingham Crown Court, where he faced multiple charges including robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and causing grievous bodily harm. Additionally, he was charged with assaulting officers in custody.
DS Curt Wilkins, who led the investigation, commented on the case: “This was a shocking robbery which left the victim with serious and long-lasting injuries. Thanks to the overwhelming amount of evidence linking William Lewis to the crime, we were able to track him down, build our case and charge him. He is clearly a highly dangerous individual and it is a good thing for the public that he is now off the streets. Hopefully, the people he has harmed through his history of offending can gain some comfort from the knowledge he has been brought to justice.”
The sentencing reflects the gravity of Lewis’s actions and his continued pattern of criminal behavior. Authorities hope that his imprisonment will provide some measure of justice and safety for the affected community.