A motorist who callously ran over a man and left him seriously injured in the middle of a busy Solihull road has been sentenced to just three years in prison, raising fresh concerns over the UK’s justice system.

The incident took place on 29 November 2023 at the junction of Bills Lane and Shakespeare Drive in Shirley, where Richard Perrin, driving a white Toyota, collided with a van before fleeing the scene.

The victim, a 29-year-old man, managed to catch up with Perrin due to traffic and approached him to ask why he had failed to stop. Despite initially claiming he had not realised a collision had occurred, Perrin then committed an act of shocking brutality, deliberately driving over the man, dragging him several feet along the road before abandoning him with serious injuries.

Perrin, 58, was arrested at his home, where police found damage to his vehicle and a handprint on the bonnet. He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday 6 March.

The incident has had a life-changing impact on the victim, who remains in recovery and has been unable to return to work.

Unlike many offenders, Perrin will be required to serve his full sentence rather than being released early. However, many will still feel that three years behind bars is an insult to the severity of his crime. He has also been banned from driving for four-and-a-half years and will need to pass an extended test if he wishes to regain his licence.

The leniency of the sentence will do little to reassure the public that the justice system is fit for purpose. While victims are left struggling to rebuild their lives, offenders like Perrin can look forward to a prison system that offers them home comforts, including televisions and gaming consoles. For many, this raises serious questions about whether justice is truly being served.

Acting Detective Sergeant Lana Payne from Solihull Police, said: “This was a traumatic incident that the victim continues to recover from and he has also been unable to return to work.

“Had Perrin stopped at the scene initially, this would never have happened. I want to say thank you to the members of the public who helped the victim and assisted us with our investigation.

“Road safety continues to be a priority for us. We actively patrol key areas to enforce speed limits and protect our communities from road harm issues. But we cannot do this alone.

“We urge all road users to respect the speed limit and be aware of other drivers and pedestrians. Let’s work together to keep our roads safe.”