Horrifying moment thug smashes car into peacemaker who was trying to break up fight and leaves him traumatic brain injury - just hours being released from prison
Hugh Raymond Holmes, 35, got into a fight in Ferryhill, County Durham, which involved several men and women on the day he left jail for a separate offence.
Following a large altercation involving several people, a local waded in to the argument and attempted to break up the brawl that had already injured several people.
The 35-year-old appeared to cool off but then made his way to a car, got behind the wheel and drove in to the innocent neighbour, smashing him in to a parked van.
The crash left the peacemaker with traumatic brain injuries and multiple fractured and broken bones.
CCTV released by Durham Constabulary shows the shocking moment the local intervened and was brutally attacked in return.
Footage shows a fight breaking out between two groups of men and women after one woman mistook another for pulling a face at her in the car as she drove by.
The two groups set upon each other with Holmes being initially punched and hitting the floor before being repeatedly kicked.
As the two groups of people continue to punch and kick each other, shouting in the residential street, a neighbour comes over and intervenes.
He pulls some of those fighting off each other and stops one man from punching Holmes again.
According to police the man did not 'hit anyone, he doesn't kick anyone, he doesn't punch anyone. All he does is get in the middle and split everybody up.'
The police added that the 'concerned citizen' does not become 'aggressive or violent' at any point.
Following the break-up of the fight, Holmes walks over to a parked black car and climbs in before speeding off up the street, turning around and speeding back down again.
At high speed Holmes crashed the vehicle straight in to the back of a silver van, crushing the neighbour as one of the others involved in the fight jumps out of the way.
Those around scream: 'Watch the car' before Holmes crashes, and continue to scream and shout in shock before rushing to the injured neighbour.
Holmes was seen climbing out of the car, casting a quick glance over the scene before walking off in the opposite direction, leaving the neighbour lying on the road.
The man suffered a traumatic brain injury, multiple facial fractures and a broken leg requiring surgical screws.
He spent months in hospital and is still undergoing treatment.
Body worn footage from the scene shows Holmes tell a police officer: 'I wish I was back in jail.'
The police officer asks when he was last inside and he replies: 'This morning.'
Holmes was arrested and charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent, disqualified driving, driving with no insurance and refusing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.
Holmes, of Spennymoor, Durham, admitted all charges except causing grievous bodily which he was found guilty of by a jury at Durham Crown Court after 20 minutes of deliberations.
He has now been jailed for 18 years and banned from driving for 15 years.
The brute had previously been serving a 32 month sentence after crashing a stolen car he had been driving on a bridge of the A1(M) in Durham which left his female passenger seriously hurt.
DC Lauren Howe, who led the investigation, said: 'Holmes is a despicable criminal who clearly hadn't learnt any lessons from his previous crime which he had just been released from prison for.
'He left the victim with critical injuries just before Christmas and they continue to have a huge impact on him and his family.
'However, thanks to the bravery of the victim and the whole community pulling together, we were able to gather overwhelming evidence to charge Holmes and put him back before the court.
'We hope putting Holmes back behind bars for a significant amount of time will bring some comfort to the victim who, in his own words, continues to stand tall.'
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