Drug-fuelled driver who ploughed Mercedes into crowd outdoors Freshers Week nightclub occasion is jailed

A driver high on laughing gas who ploughed his Mercedes into a crowd outside a Freshers Week nightclub event has been jailed for 11-and-a-half years.

Mohammed Suffi, 23, was filmed in harrowing footage driving his SUV into clubbers during the hit-and-run outside The Tunnel Club in Birmingham.

He had been ‘egged on’ by a friend to use his ‘powerful vehicle as a weapon’ at the Freshers Week student event in October 2024.

Suffi and three friends were kicked out of the club after one of the men, Armaan Abid, did something to ‘upset’ another clubgoer’s girlfriend.

Six people were mown down in the rampage, including DJ Caliston Calistus, whose body was dragged beneath the car’s bonnet.

As a result, Mr Calistus suffered fractured ribs, a fractured pelvis, a broken collar bone, a broken neck and collapsed lungs.

This shattered the victim’s dream job of becoming an international DJ, the court heard.

Birmingham Crown Court heard Suffi, who had taken nitrous oxide, colloquially known as ‘laughing gas’, then tried to dump the wrecked car and flee to Dubai.

Following a trial in December, he was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after previously admitting dangerous driving.

Suffi, from Aston, Birmingham, was sentenced today for 11-and-a-half years and banned from driving for 10 years and seven months.

Fellow Birmingham residents Mustafa Gohari, 21, from Arcocks Green; Armaan Abid, 23, from Handsworth; and Daanyal Hussain, 21, from Yardley, all pleaded guilty to affray.

They were each sentenced to 11 months, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Suffi drove the group to the club in his Mercedes, and he and Gohari were seen inhaling the laughing gas after getting out of the car.

The group went inside but were kicked out at 2.20am over a confrontation with a stranger after Abid ‘upset’ his girlfriend.

Judge Paul Farrer KC said while sentencing: ‘On the night of October 3 2024, you all attended an event at the Tunnel Club, which is close to the Jewellery Quarter.

‘Inside the club Abid did something to a woman and that led to a confrontation with that woman’s boyfriend.

‘You all became involved in that and that led to you being ejected at about 2.20am.’

The group then went back to Suffi’s Mercedes, the court heard.

As people started to leave the club at 3am, the men left the car and Suffi was seen brandishing a nitrous oxide canister while the others covered their faces.  

Daniel Oscroft, prosecuting, said tensions started to rise after security became involved.

He said: ‘It appears from what took place that these defendants were intent on taking revenge for some perceived slight or grievance.’

Clubbers tried to calm the group down but when the man they previously fought with came out, Hussain punched him causing a ‘full-blown fight’ to ‘erupt’.

The judge said: ‘You became confrontational and aggressive with security staff and sought to get back inside the club.

‘You were all involved in the kicking and punching of the doors of the premises.

‘You could have chosen to leave but instead you remained outside the club waiting for it to close and for people to leave.

‘I have no doubt you were intent on violence against the unknown man you had a quarrel with inside the club.’

The judge continued: ‘Having lost the fight you felt humiliated and as a consequence Suffi lost his temper and drove his Mercedes at some speed at people who had left the club.

‘People leapt out of the way. This was a large SUV type vehicle and was inevitably going to cause serious injury.

‘Had the car passed over someone’s head that person would have almost inevitably been killed.

‘The reality is that having lost your temper you were intent on causing mayhem and injury to those on the road.’

People were struck by the car but seemingly avoided serious injuries, while Suffi drove over DJ Calistus and another man.

Suffi proceeded to drive around the block and come back past the club.

Mr Oscroft said: ‘Suffi started to drive aggressively. The vehicle reversed and circled back and round and drove at pedestrians knocking people over.

‘You can see both Mr Calistus and the other male disappear under the front bumper.

‘You see the vehicle rise and fall over the two bodies. Their bodies are further down the road.’

Mr Calistus heard the ‘cracking’ of his bones, which led to him needing major surgery and being hospitalised for three weeks. 

In a victim statement, the 28-year-old said: ‘I was the victim of a serious incident which changed my life.

‘I am still undergoing treatment. I am left in constant pain, I have reduced mobility, have visible scars and psychological trauma.’

He explained he had a passion for DJ’ing since he was 16, adding: ‘It was not just my job, it was my dream, my purpose.’

Turning to the victim DJ Calistus, the judge said: ‘He spent years building up a successful business as an international DJ.

‘He describes that being his dream, his purpose, his identity. His injuries meant that he was unable to work.’

Abbas Lakha, defending Suffi, said: ‘He accepted full responsibility for the harm he caused. He is utterly and genuinely remorseful.

‘He said what occurred happened in a “split second” in a moment of panic and confusion.’

Gulam Ahmed, defending Gohari, who had been a first-year student studying civil engineering, said: ‘He was also run over by the Mercedes.

‘He was drinking that night and had also taken nitrous oxide. That clearly affected his judgement. He is ashamed of his behaviour.’

Representing Abid, Ben Hargreaves said: ‘This was childish, immature and aggressive behaviour by a group of young men. He should have left.’

While Jim Tilbury, for Hussain, said: ‘This was an unedifying and ugly episode.’