Man appears in court after pedestrians hit by car

A man who was charged after a car hit a group of pedestrians in Derby city centre has appeared in court.

Seven people were seriously injured when they were hit by a black Suzuki Swift in Friar Gate at about 21:30 GMT on Saturday.

Sandhu Ponnachan, 36, who only spoke to confirm his name and address, has been charged with six counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and one count of attempted GBH with intent, one count of dangerous driving, and one count of possession of a bladed article.

Ponnachan, who police said was originally from India, appeared at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, when he was remanded to appear at Derby Crown Court on 29 April.

Derbyshire Police said four men and three women, aged between 36 and 52, suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries during the incident.

Four have since been released from hospital, the force added.

District Judge Jonathan Taaffe began the hearing by addressing Ponnachan directly.

Taaffe said: "You face a number of charges from an incident on March 28th.

"It's said that upon that date, you drove dangerously and that you committed acts that have unlawfully and maliciously caused grievous bodily harm to a number of people.

"Given the nature of the charges, they can only be dealt with at the crown court."

Prosecutor Seema Mistry told the court Ponnachan accepted he was the driver of the car, and told police in an interview he was heading into the city centre "to buy a pizza".

There was no application for bail during the hearing, which lasted for about five minutes.

In a statement following the court hearing, Ch Supt Emma Aldred confirmed there would be extra police patrols over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

"My thoughts and those of the wider force remain with each of the seven injured people, their families, and witnesses at the scene," she said.

"I would like to reiterate my thanks to all the people that have assisted in our investigation; the public, partner agencies, local businesses, the media and wider community for their patients and understanding as we have worked to seek a charge.

"I would once again appeal for anyone who has any information to come forward if they have not already done so.

"As a final word, now that charges have been made, I'd ask for the cooperation of the public, to allow the judicial process to continue without any speculation, online or elsewhere, that could impede the pursuit of justice for all those affected."

In an interview with BBC Radio Derby on Tuesday, Derby City Council leader Nadine Peatfield said that the authority would "stop vehicles one way or another from travelling along Friar Gate over the bank holiday weekend".

On Wednesday she confirmed that following discussions with businesses and emergency services, extra traffic calming measures will be implemented in Friar Gate.

"In the aftermath of this distressing incident, the landscape is constantly shifting. We have taken the time to consult extensively with local businesses, our Purple Flag partners, transport providers and the emergency services," Peatfield said.

"After carefully considering this feedback, we have decided to take measures to slow the traffic on Friar Gate, but not to stop it.

"Traffic calming measures will be in place along with an increased high-visibility police presence across the city centre.

"The recent incident was an isolated occurrence, and we remain fully committed to ensuring our residents and visitors feel safe and welcome in a city centre that is very much open for business."

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