Chai: See the Man Who Broke Young Lady's Leg With Remote-Controlled Car Just 3 Weeks to Her Wedding (Photos)

Emily Patel

Ricky Fitzgerald, a 40-year-old man has been jailed after deliberately driving a remote controlled car into a woman and breaking her leg.

According to Metro, the man drove the petrol-powered device into Emily Patel, 22, three weeks before her wedding on August 21 last year.

The incident happened while she was at an exercise class in St John’s Park in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, and the court heard he had been trying to intimidate the group she was with.

The impact of the crash caused Mrs Patel to trip and she suffered a triple fracture to her left leg.



Fitzgerald fled the scene.

The beauty salon owner did manage to get married to husband Sudi Patel but was forced to walk on crutches the whole time.

Judge Hetherington slammed Fitzgerald at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday when he sentenced him to two years in prison after he had admitted grievous bodily harm.

‘You intentionally drove that car in the direction of various people who were lawfully trying to have some recreation in the park,’ he said.

‘You then drove the car at one of the members of the class, it has been said at 30mph.’



He continued: ‘She was some three weeks away from her own wedding.

‘There was the most appalling disruption inevitably to that.’

The judge rejected mitigation Fitzgerald, who suffered from mental health issues, had simply been reckless with his actions and had not intended to cause injury.

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Patel said: ‘It’s been a bit of a roller coaster of a year for me, but I am happy it’s finally come to an end.

‘I had no idea what sentence he would receive, but I am happy with the two years in jail he was given.

‘Unfortunately it will never repair the fact that he almost ruined my wedding day, but hopefully his sentence will punish him for that.’