Blain Williams: Sheffield dad mowed down vulnerable man with car in 'red mist revenge attack'

In the moments prior to the incident taking place at around 6.45pm on May 9 last year, 30-year-old defendant, Blain Williams, was involved in an ‘angry altercation’ with the complainant outside some shops on Birley Moor Road, Frecheville, Sheffield Crown Court heard during a February 2, 2023, hearing.

Prosecuting barrister, Adam Walker, said the complainant has paranoid schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and was ‘acting bizarrely’ when he encountered Williams.

“There was an angry altercation between the two. The facts of why have not emerged,” Mr Walker told the court. Following the heated exchange, Williams went ‘looking for’ the complainant in his car, Mr Walker said.

He added: “He drove at the complainant, striking him on two occasions.”

An eye witness described seeing the complainant ‘fly up into the air before landing on the ground’ after being struck by a car, and initially believed they had observed an ‘accident’ and the silver vehicle involved had ‘lost control’.

“I saw the silver car start to rev. It then made a sharp left, and ran directly over the complainant, who was on the floor. It was deliberate. There was no need for the silver car to make the sharp turn. I was horrified,” the eye witness said.

Describing it as a ‘revenge attack,’ Mr Walker showed CCTV of the incident to the court.

When asked by Judge Sarah Wright, Mr Walker confirmed the vehicle driven by Williams had ‘mounted the pavement’ and over a grass verge in order to strike the complainant.

The complainant suffered a broken leg in the incident, for which he had to undergo surgery; and the court was told he remained in hospital for over two weeks.

In a statement read to the court, the complainant said the incident had caused him to feel ‘paranoia’ about going outside due to fearing ‘someone was going to run me over again’.

He also described how the injuries he suffered in the attack had also impacted on his ability to exercise and go to the gym, which he has previously used to help with his mental health.

Mr Walker said a further statement from the complainant’s consultant confirmed his leg was ‘never going to be as good as new’.

Williams, of Chestnut Avenue, Stocksbridge, was arrested over the offence on June 22 last year, and was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Judge Wright told Williams’ defence barrister, Rebecca Tanner, that she remembered sentencing Williams for previous offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray; and accepted the assertion made by Ms Tanner during that hearing that his offending was ‘out of character,’ and consequently sentenced him to an ‘order in the community’.

She said she had therefore been surprised to discover that Williams was already under investigation for this incident when Ms Tanner’s mitigation persuaded her to steer away from imposing a custodial sentence.

Ms Tanner confirmed she was not aware of these proceedings when she had advanced the mitigation on Williams’ behalf, which was accepted by Judge Wright; adding Williams told her he did not mention them during the previous sentencing hearing because he had not taken responsibility for them by that stage.

In mitigation, she reiterated Mr Walker’s suggestion that the complainant had been acting ‘bizarrely,’ adding that the complainant was ‘very persistent’ during his interaction with Williams and had also shouted at him.

Ms Tanner told the court that Williams was not aware of the complainant’s vulnerabilities when he carried out the offence, adding that ‘the red mist simply descended’.

Williams is father to three young children, Ms Tanner said, adding: “Not only did he cause injury and ongoing issues for the complainant, but also there will be far-reaching impacts for his immediate family.”

Judge Wright jailed Williams for 54 months, and banned him from driving for five years.

“You used your car as a dangerous weapon, and this was a dangerous act,” Judge Wright told Williams, adding that he will be required to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence.

Speaking after the hearing, Detective Constable Leigh Fontana, who investigated this matter, said: “Williams is now behind bars for a vicious and violent crime that left a vulnerable victim with serious injuries.

“Williams intentionally used a vehicle to inflict injuries upon his victim, knowing full well the significant risk this posed. This type of reckless and dangerous criminality has no place on Sheffield’s streets and I am pleased that he has been jailed.”