A high-flying young estate agent – tipped for the top at a leading firm selling multi-million pound properties – lost his career and liberty after drunkenly driving into a mob of angry football fans, shattering one man’s leg.
Edward Jephson,28, a sales negotiator for the exclusive Westminster and Pimlico neighbourhoods with Douglas and Gordon Estate Agents was jailed for fifteen months.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard Jephson, of Elspeth Road, Clapham, ignored a police cordon and drove on the wrong side of the road into a crowd of angry Chelsea football fans, disgruntled at their teams penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United in last year’s Champions League Final.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in Fulham Broadway, Fulham on May 21 last year and later gave an alcohol breath-test of 93 – over two-and-a-half-times the legal limit.
“This is about as bad a case of dangerous driving as can me imagined,” Judge David Martineau told suited Jephson (pictured above right) who was supported in court by his parents and girlfriend of three years Elouise Thompson, a Mayfair p.a.
“You got into your car in Clapham while clearly drunk and drove towards Stamford Bridge where you drove past a police cordon which had been placed in the road to protect football supporters.
“You did not stop, but drove into them at 10mph, striking two of them and seriously injuring one. You are extremely fortunate not to be facing a charge of ABH or GBH,” added the Judge.
The angry supporters who had packed pubs and bars near the stadium to watch the Moscow final turned on Jephson, who was punched in the face and his VW Golf vandalized.
The Director of Douglas and Gordon, James French, told the court in a statement Jephson made a “significant contribution to sales” and was making a name for himself at the Pimlico office after nine years in the profession.
“He had been muted as a future manager,” said Mr James Harrison, defending. “His promotion is now on hold and he will lose his job if jailed.”
Prosecutor Mr Jai Patel told the court a witness dialed 999 after spotting an obviously drunken Jephson staggering in Elspeth Road at 11pm and struggling with a friend trying to stop him driving.
He was next seen by police approaching Fulham Broadway, where an angry mob were throwing bottles and missiles at officers.
“He drove around a police van and on the wrong side of a traffic island,” explained Mr Patel. “He braked then accelerated towards the crowd on the wrong side of the road, knocking people off their feet and causing others to jump out of the way.”
The VW eventually stopped and was attacked by the crowd with a “staggering” Jephson saved by police.
The defendant asked the arresting officers: “What have I done? Where am I.”
Victim Keith Lockhart suffered a fracture to his tibia and fibula when run down from behind and Sam Filtman later went to hospital with extensive grazes.
“Mr Jephson looks back on these events with a tremendous sense of shame,” Mr Harrison told the court. “He feels his good character is blemished forever.
“The events will be forever with him and he will never forget what he did in a moment of foolishness.”
The defendant suffers panic attacks and was also depressed that day, added the lawyer, revealing Jephson was driving to his brother’s home near the stadium.
The loss off his job would also almost certainly mean Jephson would also lose his flat because there is nobody to pay the mortgage.
Jephson was also disqualified from driving for three years. A charge of failing to supply a breath-test because he failed to blow a second time was dropped.
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