Horrific moment woman is hit by speeding Audi driver in Princes Avenue

-Credit:Humberside Police
-Credit:Humberside Police


A speeding driver who suddenly crashed into a woman in the street – sending her flying into the air and straight over the top of his car – caused such serious injuries to her that it wrecked her life and left her suffering a "never-ending nightmare".

Banned driver Luke Gough callously drove off with a completely broken windscreen before abandoning the car on waste ground and setting fire to it with the active encouragement of his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat.

There was a "loud bang and a crack" when the car hit the woman, just as she was about to cross the road, shortly after 1.15am. The victim needed a series of operations and her life had been turned "upside down" by the devastating consequences of the horrific crash, Hull Crown Court heard.

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Gough, 36, of Marfleet Lane, east Hull, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving on July 31, 2022, as well as causing serious injury by driving while disqualified, a separate offence of driving while disqualified and another of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

His girlfriend, Gemma Johnson, 30, of Tanfield Grove, east Hull, admitted perverting the course of justice through her role in setting fire to the car.

WARNING: Readers may find the video below, released by Humberside Police, distressing

Julia Baggs, prosecuting, said that the woman, now 45, had been out for the evening and had been drinking. She was about to cross the road in Princes Avenue, west Hull, after going to get a pizza from a takeaway at about 1.15am. A black Audi A3 driven by Gough, with Johnson as his passenger, sped towards her at 48 to 52mph in a 30mph limit.

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A witness later said: "It looked like the Audi was absolutely flooring it." The woman was knocked into the air and she went over the top of the car. She was propelled forward on the car some distance.

"A witness described a loud bang and a crack," said Miss Baggs. Another witness thought that the woman on the ground was dead. All the woman could remember was walking up confused and disoriented.

The car sped off with a totally smashed windscreen and stopped in a quiet cul-de-sac in Hopwood Close, off Leonard Street. Residents were disturbed at 2am.

Johnson was heard to say: "You have just hit a f***ing woman. Get out. Get the f*** out." Another male said: "I think she's dead, mate." Johnson told Gough to burn the car. "Luke, you f***ing burn it." She said that there was a petrol can. "Get out and empty the boot," she said. "Get my bag." A child's car seat belonging to Johnson was found in a front garden.

-Credit:Humberside Police
-Credit:Humberside Police

The woman who had been hit by the car suffered two fractures to her spine, a fractured right leg, a dislocated right knee, bleeding on the brain, a fractured rib and internal bleeding to her lungs and liver.

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She was in Hull Royal Infirmary for just under a month, initially in the trauma ward, and had three operations during that time.

She was moved to Castle Hill Hospital and needed ongoing care, including a bed in her living room for her and regular physiotherapy. She had an operation on her right leg in November last year. She would need a knee replacement.

"She described the situation as a never-ending nightmare," said Miss Baggs. "Her life has clearly been significantly altered and disrupted." The woman, a self-employed carpet cleaner, still could not do her physically demanding work because of her lack of mobility. "The collision has literally turned my life upside down," she said.

Police went to Gough's home in Marfleet Lane on August 1 of that year. Johnson eventually answered the door and she pretended that she did not know where he was. "He was hiding in the loft in his pants and socks," said Miss Baggs.

Gough had bought the car only nine days earlier, even though he was a banned driver. He had been disqualified in 2006 and had never passed the extended retest that he was supposed to do before driving again.

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Drugs were found during a police search. There was cannabis, valued at £465, in kitchen cupboards and a bedroom. There was £755 cash. Diazepam was under a mattress. Johnson had already been dealt with by Hull magistrates for possessing diazepam.

Gough had convictions for 34 previous offences, including aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving and driving while disqualified. He had been jailed for 10 years in 2016 for robbery in which the victim was an 84-year-old man.

Eddison Flint, mitigating, said that the woman's life was "now changed forever" and Gough would have to live with that for the rest of his life. He had spent only 10 months out of the last nine years out of prison.

"This is a life that he can no longer lead," said Mr Flint. "He has expressed his utmost regret and remorse. He accepts his guilt. He does want to turn his life around.

Gemma Johnson, pictured at Hull Crown Court -Credit:Hull Live
Gemma Johnson, pictured at Hull Crown Court -Credit:Hull Live

"His driving was unforgivable. What happened next was equally so. The defendant had not been out of prison for very long when this happened.

"It was blind panic. He had spent almost five years in prison and he knew that, after what happened, he would be straight back there. It was a short drive to where the vehicle was left and then burned out."

Charlotte Baines, representing Johnson, said that the defendant had been drinking at the time. She panicked after seeing an "extremely shocking" incident and acted out of "misplaced loyalty" towards her then boyfriend, Gough.

She bitterly regretted her behaviour and claimed that she had tried to get Gough to stay at the scene but he refused to do so. "She acknowledges that she didn't do herself any favours," said Miss Baines. Johnson had a four-year-old daughter and she hoped to find work in the near future.

Judge Mark Bury said of the victim: "The injuries that she received have been life-changing. This has had a really serious impact on her life. She has had to endure frequent hospital appointments and stays in hospital.

"She has cancelled holidays. She has described this as a never-ending nightmare. She has had to undergo regular physiotherapy. Her life has never been as it was prior to this collision."

The woman was, nevertheless, "remarkably fortunate" that she had not been killed. People had been killed in accidents that were similar to, or not as bad as, this one.

Judge Bury told Gough: "You just drove off. You didn't stop and you were only concerned with yourself. All you were doing was thinking about how to save yourself and you burned the car out. You had no intention of taking responsibility for what you did."

Judge Bury said of Johnson: "She was more than complicit in the burning out of the vehicle. She was actively encouraging it."

Gough was jailed for a total of five-and-a-half years and he was banned from driving for life. "You will never be allowed to drive again," said Judge Bury.

Johnson was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence and 15 days' rehabilitation.