A man who reversed over a pedestrian in his car before fleeing the scene has been fined and banned from driving at Worcester Magistrates Court.

Thomas Roche appeared before magistrates in Worcester on November 20 charged with causing injuries to the leg and knee of a pedestrian who he reversed over while at a junction in Evesham on November 7 last year.

On the day in question, Roche, 25, was reversing at a give way sign in Worcester Road when he hit a pedestrian walking behind him.

The pedestrian’s wife shouted at Roche, of Sandleheath Road, Hampshire, to get his attention, but the court heard he carried on, injuring the man’s knee and leg. He then went on to drive away from the scene without stopping to exchange details with the injured pedestrian, also failing to report the incident to the police.

Further checks carried out on the vehicle he was driving, an Audi A3, showed Roche was not listed as the named driver on its insurance policy.

Roche originally pleaded not guilty to the charges, but changed his plea when he appeared in Worcester, where he was fined a total of £1,020 as well as having six penalty points put on his licence.

Also at court this week, trial dates have been set for a man and a woman who deny racially-aggravated abusive words or behaviour.

Adrian Birch and Donna Bird both appeared before magistrates in Worcester charged with using threatening or abusive words or behaviour, which were racially aggravated according to the charge sheet. The two are both facing two charges of this nature, both of which are denied.

The charges allege that on September 8 last year, the pair used threatening or abusive words or behaviour in Worcester, with the words or behaviour being of a racially aggravated nature.

61 year-old Birch and 45 year-old Bird, both of The Horn and Trumpet in Worcester, will both appear on February 8, 2021 to face trial after they both pleaded not guilty to the charges.