Judge Robert Pawson told Rodbourne hit-and-run driver Mohammed Ali that he “should be ashamed”.

The 20-year-old was jailed for six years and four months at Swindon Crown Court on Monday afternoon after he admitted wounding Morgan Sheppard with intent.

Ali drove his grey Nissan Juke at Mr Sheppard and his friends in Rodbourne Road on March 6. You can read why here.

Opening his sentencing remarks, Judge Pawson quoted from a character reference from Ali’s cousin, Runa Khanon Bakar. “She says this: ‘I never imagined I’d be seeing anyone in that court dock, let alone my little cousin who love so dearly.’ And you’ve got siblings? You’ve got parents who from what I hear are hardworking members of society; money’s been tight over the years.

“I’m guessing, Mr Ali, that they’ve worked their socks off to provide a home for their children including you.

“And the torture that you’ve put them through – your own parents, your sisters – the emotional turmoil that would have been through, I’m guessing, probably lying in bed at night with the lights off, unable to go to sleep, possibly in tears worrying about you.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, coming from a family like that, to put them through what you put them through.”

READ MORE: Nissan driver jailed for six years and four months over Rodbourne hit-and-run

Judge Pawson said Rodbourne Road had been busy with people when he aimed the Nissan at Morgan Sheppard and asked Ali how he would like it if “some maniac like you with a chip on his shoulder about some failed drug deal the day before ran someone else over – someone like your sister”.

The judge – who used to be based at Swindon Crown Court before moving down to Bournemouth - praised the detectives from Wiltshire Police’s major crimes team, who had worked the case. He said it was “plain the police have worked extremely hard to put this case together”.