An innocent father-of-one had his leg torn off when he was mown down by a Range Rover in a revenge attack by a father and son in a case of mistaken identity.
Sean Wootten, 27, came out of his house in Etches Close in Bournemouth, Dorset, on October 7 last year, when he heard a commotion caused by Vinny Morgan, 21, and his father Conrad, 55.
The violent pair were after his neighbour who they claimed had damaged their property.
Mr Wootten stepped into the darkened street wearing a hoodie, and the pair misidentified him as his neighbour, a court heard.
Vinny Morgan then drove towards him in the 4×4 with his father in the passenger seat.
Mr Wootten jumped out of the way of the oncoming vehicle, but Vinny Morgan simply reversed the Range Rover and drove at him a second time.
After hitting him, Mr Wootten was pinnned up against a garden wall by the vehicle and left screaming in agony.
Witnesses and medics found him with his left leg ‘more or less’ amputated above the knee, and with a piece of the Range Rover’s wheel trim embedded in his leg.
Vinny Morgan, 21, mowed down victim Sean Wootten who was ‘entirely innocent’ of any wrongdoing, a court heard – he has been jailed for more than 13 years
Sean Wootten (pictured outside court with partner Tara Redpath) came out of his house in Etches Close in Bournemouth, Dorset, on October 7 last year, before being hit by the vehicle
A critical care doctor had to remove the limb at the scene before the 27-year-old was flown to hospital and kept in a coma in intensive care. He is now in a wheelchair and has had to give up his job as a mechanic.
Hours later the Morgans’ home was targeted in a revenge ‘fire bomb’ attack. They called the police but were instead arrested for the hit-and-run on Mr Wootten.
Vinny Morgan has now been jailed for 13 years and six months for grievous bodily harm, having been previously cleared of attempted murder.
His 55-year-old father was found guilty of conspiracy to commit affray and sentenced to nine months in prison, which he has already served while on remand awaiting trial.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard the Morgans had been looking for neighbour Joshua Lovell after blaming him for damaging Vinny Morgan’s Suzuki Vitara car.
Just before they turnd up Mr Lovell had parked a Range Rover with the engine running in Etches Close.
The Morgans attacked him with metal bats, prompting Mr Lovell to run off and Vinny Morgan to drive after him in the Range Rover.
Sean Wilken KC, prosecuting, told a previous hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court: ‘Sean Wootten had heard the noises of the fracas going on. He had been in a flat with his girlfriend Tara Redpath.
‘He went to see what was happening. His timing was terrible because he was about to cross the road just as Vinny Morgan drove back into Etches Close in the Range Rover.
‘He came flying around the corner driving straight for Sean Wootten. He made no effort to slow down or avoid him. Mr Wootten had to jump out of the way and he managed to avoid being hit.
‘However, his luck was to run out. Mr Wootten knew Joshua Lovell and thinking it was him driving the Range Rover he shouted out, “Josh it’s me” to try and get the Range Rover to stop.
‘He couldn’t see who was driving because of the headlights.
The Range Rover pinned Mr Wootten against a brick wall and all but amputated his leg (Pictured: damage to the wall after the incident)
A court heard the Range Rover came careering down the road and made no attempt to stop or slow down
‘Mr Wootten managed to make it to the pavement and thought he was safe. But Vinny Morgan had other plans.
‘Having just missed him he reversed the Range Rover back and accelerated the short distance to where Mr Wootten was now standing. He made a deliberate decision to drive straight at him.
‘CCTV captured the screams of cries as it happened. One of his legs was more or less amputated by the impact of the Range Rover.’
Mr Wilken said a police officer described that he saw the left leg torn above the knee, bones could be seen and his leg had been all but amputated.
He added: ‘Medical treatment [was given] at the scene and [the] doctor decided to amputate. Part of the wheel trim was embedded in what remains of Mr Wootten’s leg.’
In his victim impact statement Mr Wootten said his life had been ruined.
He said: ‘I can no longer do simple things with my family that I took for granted. ‘I don’t like going out in public because people stare at me and you never know what is going to happen. I break down in tears most days.
‘I get flashbacks all the time, I see the car coming at me and relive the moment. I lost control of my life, I lost everything that day.’
The court also heard a statement from his partner Tara Redpath, who described running down the stairs holding her daughter, to find him sat ‘in a pool of his own blood’.
She said: ‘Every time I close my eyes, or see a Range Rover, I relive it over and over again. I see Sean sat there looking at his leg. I can constantly hear his scream, a scream I had never heard before that night.’
Paul Walker, representing Vinny Morgan, said his client had made good use of his time in prison with real prospects for employment when released.
He added: ‘I urge your honour to give this man some light at the end of what will be a lengthy custodial tunnel.’
But Judge William Mousley KC did not accept Morgan had shown remorse.
He said Morgan had tried to claim Mr Wootten was armed and threatened him with a dangerous weapon with ‘not a hint of any kind of regret if this was a case of mistaken identity’.
Judge Mousley said: ‘You decided to go looking for a man called Joshua Lovell, and any associates he may have with him, to attack and injure him.
‘There was bad feeling between you. You had unwanted visitors at your address previously and damage had been caused.
‘Sean Wootten heard a noise from the street and it concerned him sufficiently he thought he ought to investigate.
‘He was unarmed but had his hood up, which meant he was not immediately recognisable.
‘I am sure that you intended at least to scare him and possibly hit him at that point. Whether that was because you thought he had something to do with Joshua Lovell’s behaviour, it is not entirely clear whether you knew who your target was.’
He said Mr Wootten was ‘entirely innocent’.
Vinny Morgan was found guilty of GBH, conspiracy to commit affray and possession of an offensive weapon in public.
Conrad Morgan, a builder, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit affray and possession of an offensive weapon in public and sentenced to nine months in prison.
