AN Uber driver has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years after mowing down a devoted dad in a hit-and-run.
Kunathilinghan Mohanthas deliberately drove his car into Christopher Hanton causing the 40-year-old to fall and fatally smash his head on the ground on August 5 last year.
The 48-year-old driver appeared at Kilmarnock High Court today for sentencing after admitting to knocking down Mr Hanton and driving away from the scene in Glasgow, leaving the dad-of-one for dead.
There were jeers of “rot in jail” and “I hope you die” from the victim’s devastated family and friends in the public gallery as Lord Clark jailed him and banned him from driving for 13 years and nine months.
Mohanthas, who was supported by family and friends in court, said nothing as he was taken down.
The court heard that Mr Hanton, from Chryston, North Lanarkshire had been on a night out with friends in Glasgow city centre when he ordered a taxi on the Uber app just after 10pm.
Mohanthas arrived to collect him in George Street but when Mr Hanton got into the back seat, the driver then got out himself and told Mr Hanton to get out.
After leaving the back seat, the court heard Mr Hanton “approached the rear of the taxi and struck it with an open hand.”
He then walked around to the front of the car by which time Mohanthas had begun performing a three point turn.
Lord Alistair Clark said: “Mr Hanton walked round to the front of the vehicle and stood within the road.
“Your vehicle was stationary in the middle of the road. You then drove it forwards.
“The agreed narrative explains that to complete the three-point turn you had to steer to the right but instead you made a sudden turn to the left, towards Mr Hanton who was struck by the front of the vehicle, causing him to fall backwards and strike his head on the roadway.
“The CCTV footage shows how he was hit. You did not stop but instead continued by steering to the right again, completed your turn and drove off from the scene.”
Passersby came to Mr Hanton’s aid and he was taken to hospital, but tragically never recovered from his head injury and died four days later on August 9 – just days before his 41st birthday.
Mohanthas’ defence solicitor Mr Jackson claimed the Uber driver regretted his actions and got caught up in a “fast-moving” situation that was not all his own doing.
He said: “What happened was the car clipped the man and because he went backwards and hit his head off the ground and that’s what cause the death.
“There’s no other injuries at all so that tells me that whatever happened was not a full-on collision.
“In this very fast-moving situation wrong decisions were made.
“What we have here is a man of reasonably good character, he’s not perfect, but was caught up in a situation not entirely of his own making, but it happened and he takes responsibility and he has displayed suitable empathy for that situation.
“It’s tragic particularly for the people who are here in court. It should never have happened.”
But Lord Clark did not accept that the events were accidental, adding: “You accept full responsibility and show remorse for your conduct. You recognise the devastating impact your actions have had on the victim’s family and on your own.
“This crime was not premeditated and your violent conduct was spontaneous. You did not intend to kill him but this was not an accident.”
Mr Hanton’s family and friends, including his distraught wife Lynne, broke down in tears at the verdict.