A MAN was seriously injured when he was run over after being “lured” on to a roadway by a young woman he had met on Facebook.

Owen Williams was hurled into the air and left lying in the road after the hit-and-run and he thought he was going to die.

Six months later he is still attending hospital appointments and suffering mentally and physically.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Tue) that the 23-year-old had been in contact with Abbey-Lee Liptrot by mobile phone and text messages during the course of the night and repeatedly invited her to a “lock-in” at his local pub.

He told 18-year-old Liptrot, whom he had never met, that she could bring her female friend along but that no men were welcome.

She was in the front seat of a Ford Fiesta being driven around by Robert Taylor, whom she had also met via Facebook, and her friend was in the back seat, said Catherine Ellis, prosecuting.

While they were driving around in the early hours of February 2 this year and Liptrot and Mr Williams were in touch it became apparent she was in the car with Mr Taylor and the two men argued over the phone. Mr Williams sent him an abusive text.

Shortly before 4 am they arrived in Wargrave Road, Newton-le-Willows by the Sunbeam pub and Liptrot sent him messages saying the car was outside and to walk towards it.

“The prosecution case is that he was brought into the roadway so that something could be done to him,” said Miss Ellis.

Once he was outside the Fiesta left its parked position and 20-year-old Taylor drove it, on his admission, at 30 mph along the road, which had cars parked on both sides. “It struck Mr Williams and threw him in the air and left him with a number of serious injuries.”

He suffered four fractured ribs, a fractured and dislocated left shoulder, a small cut to his liver, bleeding in both sides of the chest and bruising to his right lung. He also suffered cuts to his forehead which have left him scarred.

The Fiesta sped off and Taylor considered torching it but instead decided to hide it and told his insurance company it had been vandalised. Taylor and Liptrot were arrested later that day and the car was recovered.

When interviewed they suggested that the victim had dived in front of the vehicle.

“The prosecution do not accept that account,” said Miss Ellis.

Mr Williams’ friend told how he had had “no chance” of getting out of the way and text messages between the defendants showed “no remorse whatsoever".

Taylor said he had just driven to the pub to see if “it was real” and to see what was going on but got bored and moved off.

Jailing Taylor for 32 months and Liptrot, for 22 weeks, Judge Denis Watson, QC said, “Neither of you showed any remorse at all.”

He told them: “The two of you made a deliberate decision to go to the location of Mr Williams even though he had made it clear that if you, Liptrot, was with male company that was likely to cause problems.”

The victim’s life has been “turned upside down” and he is self-conscious of the scarring to his forehead, he said.

Taylor, of Bickershaw Lane, Abram, Wigan, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious injury and Liptrot, of Belvoir Street, Wigan, admitted dangerous driving.

Judge Watson told Taylor: “It is not the Crown’s case that you deliberately intended to cause injury. Having caused injury you drove off, you did not stop, you did not offer any assistance although you had struck Mr Williams and left him lying in the road. You then began to discuss with Liptrot how to cover up the offence.”

He continued: “This was a very serious piece of driving indeed. You knew perfectly well that he was being effectively brought out that pub to facilitate your intention to drive with the purpose of scaring him or terrifying him and you caused those serious injuries.”

He told Liptrot, who showed no emotion, that she was not responsible in law for the injuries although was morally: “Your conscience, if you have one, may find the position you are in difficult to reconcile.”

“You are not responsible in law for causing those injuries but you were very much party to the dangerous driving. You were the one texting and contacting Owen Williams to get him to come out of the pub. That the consequences were outside your contemplation is little mitigation in reality."

Taylor was banned from driving for four years four months and Liptrot for two years. They are both banned from contacting Mr Williams for five years and an order was made depriving Taylor of his car. The court heard that neither defendant has any previous convictions.

Miss Ellis told the court that in victim impact statements Mr Williams said he did not remember much but said “I will never forget the fear of being imminently hit and the belief that I was going to die.”

He also did not want to meet Taylor again as he was afraid of what Taylor might be capable of.

Mr Williams has been referred for phsyiotherapy for his shoulder injury and for counselling as he is still having trouble sleeping. He is a level four football referee and has lost about £1,500 income from that work.

Paul Becker, defending, said that Taylor expresses remorse and understands the level of injury and psychological harm caused to Mr Williams.

The unemployed labourer was anxious about the outcome of the proceedings but knew he faced the prospect of prison.

Defence barrister Tom Watson described Liptrot, who was due to start a hair and beauty college course tomorrow, as an immature person and immature mother. She has a young child who she has access to twice a week, he said.

It had been claimed she had been “laughing and smirking” during her last court appearance but Mr Watson said it was naivety and stupidity on her part and the recognition of her behaviour that night was slowly dawning on her.

He said that Liptrot, who works part time in Wigan’s Wellfield Hotel, wished to apologise to Mr Williams, who was sat in the public gallery with his mum Linda Williams. “My client has a lot of growing up to do,” said Mr Watson.

“She played a part in the dangerous driving by encouraging Robert Taylor to drive in the manner described. It was no part of her intention that Mr Williams would be injured”

After the hearing Mr Williams, who lives near the Sunbeam pub, said he was pleased with the sentence. He had been about to take up a new job as an area sales executive at the time of the incident and fortunately his new employers have been very understanding about his time off for medical appointments.

His mum, who had flown over from her Hong Kong home for the hearing, said that she learnt about the incident in a Facebook message from another son, and had been worried sick.