News / Crime
Two men found guilty of hit-and-run attack on hospital worker
More than four years after Katungua Tjitendero was hit by a car from behind while walking home from work at Southmead Hospital, two men have been found guilty of conspiracy to cause intentional grievous bodily harm.
Patrick James, 22, of Broadlands Drive in Avonmouth, and Phillip Adams, 26, of Eastleigh Road in Southmead, had denied the charge but were both unanimously found guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court.
The pair will be sentenced on Monday despite Adams failing to appear in court and being tried in his absence.
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Tjitendero, a musician also known as K-Dogg, was walking on Monks Park Avenue in Southmead at 4.30pm on July 22 2020 when he was hit by a car, pinning him to a wall which was left partially demolished by the impact.
Detective superintendent Mike Buck said: “From nowhere, a car attacked him from behind. He had no chance and was left with devastating injuries.”
Katungua Tjitendero was hit by a car from behind on Monks Park Avenue while walking home from work at Southmead Hospital – photo: Avon & Somerset Police
Two men ran from the car, with one of them shouting a racially abusive term at Tjitendero, then aged 21, who was helped by members of the public before being taken by ambulance to Southmead Hospital, where his mother Hivaka also works.
Tjitendero’s injuries including facial wounds, a broken nose, a fractured right leg and lacerations to both his legs.
James had paid £300 for the blue Honda Accord involved in the collision on July 16.
Adams’ DNA was found in the car and he told officers he had been in the car at times but both men denied driving or being in the vehicle when it crashed in Monks Park Road.
Footage found on James’ mobile phone filmed from inside a car showed it being driven up onto a pavement to knock a cyclist, Julian Ford, off his bike, and failing to stop at the scene.
This happened on July 12 in Broadlands Drive in Lawrence Weston, leaving Ford with fractured ribs, and air and blood in his chest cavity, leading to a lengthy stay in hospital.
Det supt Buck said: “It was later in the investigation, some time later in fact, that we identified this attack on Julian Ford, only ten days beforehand, and realised the significance, that this wasn’t an isolated incident. These were two linked attacks.
“Patrick James was filming the attack and you hear him on the video, and the driver, laughing both before and afterwards as they drive off. Absolutely sickening.”
Patrick James, 22, of Broadlands Drive in Avonmouth, was found guilty of conspiracy to cause intentional GBH – photo: Avon & Somerset Police
Phillip Adams, 26, of Eastleigh Road in Southmead was also found guilty – photo: Avon & Somerset Police
James previously admitted causing GBH without intent to Ford but the jury found him guilty of intentionally causing GBH.
Two other men, Jordan McCarthy, 22, and Daniel Whereatt, 51, both of Avonmouth, denied a charge of conspiracy to cause GBH to Tjitendero and were acquitted by the jury.
Buck added: “On behalf of the investigative team, I’d like to thank Mr Tjitendero and his family, and Mr Ford, for their patience and support over the past four years as we built this case.”
Main photo: Ujima Radio
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