A man who killed a pedestrian by ploughing into him in a stolen car he and an accomplice had taken in a carjacking a few minutes earlier is facing a long jail sentence.
Jason Harris pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to causing the death of 38-year-old Leigh Price by dangerous driving during the incident in Barras Lane, Coventry, in July.
He and Gerry Fawkner both pleaded guilty to robbing another man, Redovane Elaji, of his Chevrolet Captiva car during an incident in Gordon Street, Coventry, a few minutes earlier.
Fawkner (23) of Almond Tree Avenue, Wood End, Coventry, pleaded not guilty to threatening Mr Elaji with a knife, but he and Harris both admitted possessing bladed articles in Vincent Street.
In addition Harris (26) of Cheveral Avenue, Radford, Coventry, admitted driving the stolen Captiva without insurance and with no licence.
The charges follow an initial incident when the two defendants robbed Mr Elaji of his car, allegedly at knifepoint, and drove off in it, with Harris at the wheel.
A few minutes later Mr Price was walking in Barras Lane when he was struck by the Captiva in a hit-and-run collision.
The car was found shortly afterwards, having been abandoned after crashing in Radford Circle – and Harris was arrested after Later handing himself in.
Meanwhile paramedics had rushed to the scene, but despite their efforts, Mr Price was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to hospital.
Asking for the case to be adjourned, prosecutor Peter Cooper explained: “We are not in a position to make further progress in this case today, because there is a deal of evidence outstanding.
“We do not have the accident investigation report, and we do not have toxicology reports on either Harris or the deceased, and we do not have a pathologist’s report.”
Mr Cooper asked initially for the prosecution to be given 14 days to consider whether the pleas by the two defendants were acceptable – but said a date of October 26 had been identified for the sentencing hearing.
Both men were appearing at the court via a video link from HMP Hewell, where they are remanded in custody, but Judge Peter Cooke ordered that they should be brought to court for the sentencing hearing.
He observed that Harris in particular will be facing a lengthy prison sentence – and Gareth James, for Harris, and Simon Hunka, for Fawkner, agreed that pre-sentence reports would not be needed on either defendant
