Footballer jailed for 10 years for 'deliberately mowing down' group of teenagers who called him 'fatty'

A footballer has been jailed for ten years after using his car as a weapon to mow down a group of teenager after they called him "fatty".

Lee Taylor, 36, drove his BMW into a group of 11 young boys after his side lost 5-0 in a match.

Taylor was found guilty of dangerous driving and 11 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent at Newport Crown Court last month.

Today he was jailed for a total of ten years and was banned from driving for six years.

The jury were shown mobile phone footage of Taylor getting out of his car following the collisions and assaulting friends of the teenagers who had been run over, before he returned to his vehicle and drove away.

Taylor had been playing for amateur side Margam FC at the home of their rivals Cornelly Utd before he hit the teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19.

Read more: Footballer guilty of hitting 11 teenagers with car after they called him 'fatty'

The court heard how the teenagers were deliberately "knocked down like skittles". Taylor claimed he was unaware of the collisions and could not hear the boys screams because his car stereo was playing too loud.

In sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams said: "The spat between two boys could have been defused by any adult with an ounce of common sense but you did not have that".

After the case, Janine Davies of the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“Lee Taylor used his car as a weapon, deliberately driving at the group. When cars are used as weapons the consequences can be devastating. We wish all those injured in this incident a speedy recovery.”

Detective Constable Neville Evans from South Wales Police added:

"It is very fortunate that no lives were lost in this incident and we are pleased that Taylor has now been brought to justice".

"This was an incident which affected many members of the local community in North Cornelly. I would like to praise those victims and witnesses who administered first aid at the scene and thank them, their families and other members of the community who assisted South Wales Police with our investigation and the subsequent trial".

An order was also made for Taylor's BMW to be confiscated.