Andrew Van Horne sentenced to 10yrs after leaving man in wheel chair

September 10, 2012, 11:06 am

A man who ploughed his car into an innocent man, leaving the victim in a wheelchair, has been sentenced.

Andrew van Horne, born 21/9/71, of Cornbrook Road, Manchester was convicted following a four day trial of attempted section 18 wounding with intent, section 18 assault with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was today sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 10 years imprisonment.

View full article on Crime And Justice

The drama that resulted in van Horne deliberately driving at innocent people unfolded on Boxing Night, December 26 2011.

About 20 or 30 people were holding a Christmas party at a house on Markington Street, Moss Side.

During the party an argument broke out between two men after one of them spilt a drink over the other. At this point one of the men, whose nickname was ⿿Heineken⿿ Aka Van Horne, produced a knife and he was thrown out of the party.

He was followed by another partygoer who stated he then slapped ⿿Heineken⿿ across the face in self-defence.

⿿Heineken⿿ now known to be van Horne, walked over to his car, a dark blue Volkswagen Bora.

At the same time the victims were tidying up in front of the house when they describe hearing an engine revving up nearby.

Van Horne then drove the car directly at the three people outside the house. He hit a 47-year-old man, collided with another and narrowly missed the third man who had been his intended target.

The 47-year-old suffered horrific leg injuries in the collision, breaking both legs. He is now in a wheelchair and, more than seven months on faces further surgery and the possibility of losing one or both of his legs.

The other injured woman was lucky to get away with bruising and cuts following being heroically pushed out of the way by the victim.

After hitting the victims the car crashed through the front wall of the house, embedding itself in the living room.

Van Horne then reversed away and drove off.

A short time later, at about 12.15am the following morning, the car was found abandoned on Great Stone Road, Firswood. The car was registered to a Hulme man who stated he lent it to his sister⿿s boyfriend, a man known as ⿿Heineken.⿿

Detective Constable Ian Wrench, based at Longsight, said: ⿿Van Horne left an absolute trail of devastation behind him that night ⿿ all over a spilt drink.

⿿Clearly his ego is so fragile that he could not take being ejected from a party and responded in the only way he could think of ⿿ with shocking and totally unnecessary violence.

⿿His damaged pride resulted in one man suffering truly horrific and life-changing injuries, a female left with significant damage to her ankle and massive damage to the front of a house.

⿿The principal victim is now in a wheelchair and has been told he may have to have his leg amputated.

⿿No sentence today could ever return the victim⿿s life to normal, but I hope it can at least provide some solice.⿝