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| Cardiff hit-and-runs: Matthew Tvrdon on 'journey of mayhem' | Cardiff hit-and-runs: Matthew Tvrdon on 'journey of mayhem' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A hit-and-run driver killed a mother-of-three after deliberately setting out to hit her and her children like "skittles", Cardiff Crown Court heard. | |
| Matthew Tvrdon, 31, drove his van on a "journey of mayhem" for eight miles for nearly 30 minutes. | |
| Karina Menzies, 31, died and 13 others were hurt at five locations in Cardiff. | |
| Tvrdon has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and seven counts of attempted murder. He is being sentenced. | |
| Seven children were among those hurt as Tvrdon, who has paranoid schizophrenia, drove his van into them on 19 October. | Seven children were among those hurt as Tvrdon, who has paranoid schizophrenia, drove his van into them on 19 October. |
| Ms Menzies was killed as she walked close to Ely fire station. | Ms Menzies was killed as she walked close to Ely fire station. |
| The court was told of witnesses who described seeing Ms Menzies and her children hit by a white van. | |
| The van veered off the road and straight into Ms Menzies and her children. | |
| Prosecutors said witnesses had described how he "deliberately" set out to hit them like "skittles" before turning around and running her over again. | |
| Another witness described how Ms Menzies was semi-conscious and her children were calling out for their mother. | |
| Tvrdon, of no fixed address, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and guilty of seven counts of attempted murder at a hearing last month. | |
| He also pleaded not guilty to murder and another six counts of attempted murder. | He also pleaded not guilty to murder and another six counts of attempted murder. |
| Before prosecutors outlined what happened on 19 October, Tvrdon pleaded guilty to two further charges - one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and and one assault by beating. | Before prosecutors outlined what happened on 19 October, Tvrdon pleaded guilty to two further charges - one of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and and one assault by beating. |
| The court was then shown a video of Tvrdon driving his Renault Clio "erratically and dangerously" on the wrong side of the road on Western Avenue. | The court was then shown a video of Tvrdon driving his Renault Clio "erratically and dangerously" on the wrong side of the road on Western Avenue. |
| He is then seen driving to Cowbridge Road West where he parks it and gets into a white van despite his girlfriend trying to stop him. | He is then seen driving to Cowbridge Road West where he parks it and gets into a white van despite his girlfriend trying to stop him. |
| The court heard it was the start of a "journey of mayhem" covering eight miles and taking nearly half-an-hour. | The court heard it was the start of a "journey of mayhem" covering eight miles and taking nearly half-an-hour. |
| All victims were unknown to Tvrdon. He tried to kill at least one member of five family groups. | All victims were unknown to Tvrdon. He tried to kill at least one member of five family groups. |
| The prosecution says the first victims were at Crossways Road in the Ely area of the city. | The prosecution says the first victims were at Crossways Road in the Ely area of the city. |
| A woman and her two children were injured. One child was dragged under the van but "eventually rolled from under it". | A woman and her two children were injured. One child was dragged under the van but "eventually rolled from under it". |
| After that, on the same road, a couple walking their child in a buggy near a reptile centre were targeted, the court heard. The child was catapulted out of the pushchair. | |
| The mother's written evidence told how she thought the van was going to go over the overturned pram but it slowed and avoided it. | |
| Ms Menzies was the next person Tvrdon drove at, the court heard, before a third incident at Grand Avenue in Ely where a female and two children were hit on a zebra crossing. | |
| A statement from the mother said: "I saw a big white van coming towards me. By the time I saw this it was only a matter of feet away from us. It had reached the zebra crossing out of nowhere." | |
| A witness said the youngest girl was "crying for her mother" and complaining about her leg and arm after the incident. | |
| During the previous hearing, prosecutors said they would consult the victims' families before deciding whether or not to press ahead with a murder trial. | During the previous hearing, prosecutors said they would consult the victims' families before deciding whether or not to press ahead with a murder trial. |
| The BBC understands that following that consultation, the decision was made not to put Tvrdon on trial for the murder of Ms Menzies but to accept the plea of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. | The BBC understands that following that consultation, the decision was made not to put Tvrdon on trial for the murder of Ms Menzies but to accept the plea of guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. |
| Ms Menzies' brother Craig and sister Sam were in court for the sentencing. | Ms Menzies' brother Craig and sister Sam were in court for the sentencing. |