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| Boris Bronfentrinker |
Solicitor Boris Bronfentrinker, 43, has pleaded not guilty to driving his Mercedes C350E dangerously outside the Montessori Nursery, Marylebone Lane on January 18, 2019.
Local activist Peter Bullen, 70, who is ex-Chairman of the Mayfair & St. James Residents Society told Southwark Crown Court: “It was on the footpath, outside the school on double yellow lines. I passed this car on a number of occasions and noted it for dangerous parking.”
He told the court father-of-two Bronfentrinker was dismissive of his complaints and shook his hand at him. ‘It was a negative hand gesture that can be interpreted in a couple of ways, a slightly rude gesture.
“He was sitting there in the car on his mobile phone, looking down on his phone. I took my phone out and stood in front of the car on the footpath and lined up my camera to take a picture.
“As I took the photograph I realised the car was accelerating towards me without making a sound and there was no horn,” said the Mayfair retired entrepreneur.
“I was rather taken aback and realised it wasn’t going to turn away so I jumped to one side to avoid it hitting me.
“I was more concerned about getting out of the way than judging speed. I am lucky am a sportsman, an ex-sportsman so my reactions are pretty good.
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| Peter Bullen |
“My hand was shaking, I was glad not to have been hit.
“It could have been a lot worse for me than just walking away. I believe I would have been hit.”
He told the solicitor, who lives in a £1.6m Highgate house in Milton Park, that he was going to report his parking to Westminster Council.
“I was returning from my early-morning walk,” he told the jury, adding Bronfentrinker’s blue Mercedes was a common sight parked there.
“The road was narrow and everyone parks on the pavement. I am an active member of the local community and we have had problems with anti-social behaviour of drivers’ parking on the footpath.”
Mr Bullen sits on local committees and has led problem-parking campaigns locally and admonished parents outside the school for poor parking.
“Wheelchair users and people with pushchairs have to go out into the road”, he complained.
“For someone who was a long jumper and a high jumper I know how to move out of the way.”
He denied a suggestions from defence QC Patrick Gibbs that he deliberately exaggerated his movements to make a bigger issue of the incident.
“For me to move I had to jump out of the way to avoid getting struck.
“I was disappointed the police did not pursue a charge of attempted grievous bodily harm, which is what he was originally charged with.
“I am just delighted that I am still in one piece.”
Denying another defence suggestion he was a “scary” individual, who regularly raised his voice at local drivers he said: “I wear a long black coat sometimes and sunglasses and I’ve got long hair and sometimes wear a tracksuit, maybe that is scary, but that is what I wear.”
Bronfentrinker, who is an expert in complex commercial litigation with Holborn law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan was later questioned by police.
Prosecutor Mr Nick Wells told the jury: “He said the road was narrow and everyone parked on the pavement. He said the local parking officers were okay with him parking there.
“He said Mr Bullen was annoyed that he ignored him that day. He said he had driven normally from the pavement to the road and the way Mr Bullen stepped away was an exaggeration to make something of the incident.”
Bronfentrinker is the co-head of the firm’s Competition Litigation Practice and has represented clients at the High Court and Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Industry publication ‘Who’s Who Legal’ named Bronfentrinker, a law graduate from King’s College London, a Global Elite and Thought Leader.
Trial continues………..
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