Driver who left 'trail of carnage' in central London 'tried to kill gay couple in Christmas Day homophobic attack'

Anthony Gilheaney, 30, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of mowing down five pedestrians in the capital in the early hours of December 25 2024, killing 25-year-old Aidan Chapman and leaving four others seriously injured.

The prosecution alleges he also tried to murder Marcelo Basbus-Garcia and his partner Miguel Waihrich in the series of drink-fuelled attacks, first reversing at high speed into Mr Basbus-Garcia and knocking him unconscious before driving a second time into the couple as Mr Waihrich was tending to his partner.

Mr Waihrich, giving evidence on Thursday, told jurors he made eye contact with Gilheaney as the defendant drove at them a second time, while Mr Basbus-Garcia was unconscious and “covered in blood”.

“I remember it vividly – I remember his eyes and the position of his hands on the wheel, I remember his face and me crying for him to stop, and he didn’t stop,” Mr Waihrich said.

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The couple were making their way home to Bloomsbury after attending Midnight Mass in Piccadilly and entered Great Windmill Street when they came across the defendant who was standing in the middle of the road shirtless and shouting, jurors were told.

The two waited for a moment at the top of Great Windmill Street until the defendant got back into his car and drove off, and they felt it was safe for them to cross the road, the court heard.

“Then the car came back,” Mr Waihrich told jurors.

“It was very high speed, the way he reversed.

“It was so fast every person in that street was in panic – we started to run.”

As pedestrians scrambled for safety, the couple were briefly separated, and Mr Basbus-Garcia was hit and thrown to the ground.

Mr Basbus-Garcia, also giving evidence on Thursday, told jurors: “The car came after me – but it would be fair to say that he (Gilheaney) was after everybody in that street.

“The last thing I remember was being hit by the car.

“The last thing I remember, actually, is being terrified.”

Mr Basbus-Garcia suffered a head injury, hearing loss, and a fractured collarbone in the impact, jurors were told.

Mr Waihrich said he ran over to him and crouched by his side, finding him bleeding, unresponsive, and without his shoes.

“I tried to move Marcelo’s body and take care of him and I saw the car again,” Mr Waihrich said.

“He (Gilheaney) stopped and looked at me.

“He is coming in my direction, I try to make signs, gesture and say ‘stop it, please’.”

Mr Waihrich demonstrated the gesture he made, putting his arm out with his palm open before the jury.

“The car doesn’t stop and accelerated towards us, and I decided to protect Marcelo’s head with my body as a shield,” Mr Waihrich continued.

“I’m just counting the seconds before the final attack.”

Mr Waihrich took the brunt of the second impact, suffering a fracture to his elbow and an injury to his knee, the court heard.

He told the court he was “in shock” after the driver left the scene, and called the police but found himself unable to explain what had happened.

He became emotional as he recalled the moment he and his partner were taken to St Mary’s hospital for treatment.

“I was very unsure if he was alive or not,” he said.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC told jurors on Monday the attack on Mr Waihrich and Mr Basbus-Garcia was homophobic.

Following this incident, Gilheaney allegedly went on to hit 25-year-old Aidan Chapman and his friend Tyrone Itorho, who were crossing the road in Shaftesbury Avenue.

Mr Chapman was hit full on and suffered catastrophic brain damage, the trial heard.

He died in hospital on New Year’s Eve.

Gilheaney denies one count of murder, one count of wounding with intent, three counts of attempted murder, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Jurors were told on Monday he had already admitted to dangerous driving.

The trial continues.