THIS is the face of the man who used his car as a brutal weapon when a brawl broke out on a town centre street.

Shocking scenes gripped bystanders on Feilden Street in Blackburn when Khuram Ilyas, pictured, got into his Audi and drove it at a group of pedestrians, causing one of them to go flying into the air.

The man, Dhanish Akhtar, was left with serious permanent injuries as a result of the attack.

Preston Crown Court heard how Ilyas had travelled from Bolton to the East Lancashire town with four friends in March 2019 for a night out before the incident took place.

The other men, Zamir Hussain, Naeem Bhaiyat, Mohammed Liaquat and Talha Patel were also involved in the fight and appeared in court to be sentenced for their respective roles in the enterprise.

The court heard how the group had travelled in two separate cars from Bolton to Blackburn in March 2019 before they came across a red VW Golf on the way there, with members of the group perceiving that it had challenged them to a race.

When they arrived on Feilden Street they came across the Golf again, as well as a BMW and decided to go and start a fight, the court heard.

Liaquat, Hussain and Bhaiyat descended on the Golf before being joined by Patel and Iylas later, the court was told.

Bhaiyat chased a man down the street and Liaquat punched his way through a window.

As the fight was going on Ilyas left the scene, only to come back behind the wheel of his Audi and speed down the street knocking over multiple people along the way.

Among those he hit was Mr Akhtar, who was left with devastating injuries.

Richard Howarth, prosecuting, said a victim impact statement by Mr Akhtar told how he had spent 14 days in hospital, had a fractured vertebrae and had been left unable to complete tasks he used to enjoy, like cooking and gardening.

It also said he had been forced to leave a job, in which he was highly thought of, at Sainsbury's.

He added: “I feel like I am stood still in my life and I can’t do everything I want to do.”

Liaquat, 25, and Patel, 26, both of Bertrand Road, Hussain, 28, of Green Lane, Bhaiyat, 26, of Ivy Road, all Bolton, had each pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

Ilyas, of Hibernia Street, Bolton, was found guilty at an earlier trial of violent disorder, causing actual bodily harm and dangerous driving.

He had claimed his vehicle was stolen and he had been acting as a peacekeeper in the earlier incident.

The five men were sentenced on the basis they had taken part in a joint enterprise.

Judge Philip Parry jailed Ilyas for five years and banned him for driving for two years after he will be released from prison.

Patel was given a 20-month suspended prison term and ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

Bhaiyat was given a 17-months suspended jail term and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Liaqat and Hussain were each given suspended prison sentences of 20 months and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

The four men who were spared jail were also placed on a curfew between 7pm and 6am for three months.