A man has had his prison sentence increased from seven-and-a-half to 10 years after driving his car into a group of people outside a wedding in Leicester. Govinder Singh, 28, seriously injured three individuals when he struck them with his Volkswagen in May last year. The incident occurred after Singh went to the location in response to a call from his brother, who had been asked to leave the wedding due to being intoxicated and uninvited. Following a street altercation, Singh drove into the crowd before physically assaulting others. He later fled to park near his residence, removed and concealed the license plates, and the police located the vehicle shortly after. Singh pleaded guilty to charges of grievous bodily harm and wounding with intent, resulting in a initial sentence of seven-and-a-half years at Leicester Crown Court.
The case was subsequently brought before the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, where judges deemed the original term as excessively lenient and extended the sentence to 10 years. In a hearing, Lord Justice Dingemans, along with Mr Justice Butcher and Judge Peter Blair KC, expressed that the initial sentence did not adequately account for the severity of the offenses. The judge highlighted the injuries sustained by the victims, including spinal fractures, a brain hemorrhage, and a significant head wound. Additionally, it was noted that Singh had provided false information regarding the use of his car, claiming he had given it to someone else.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves remarked on Singh’s deliberate actions, stating that he had intended to inflict maximum harm through his reckless behavior, resulting in injuries to multiple individuals, including a relative, with one person suffering life-altering consequences. Reeves welcomed the court’s decision to lengthen Singh’s sentence in recognition of the grave nature of his actions on that fateful night.