Shaftesbury Avenue incident: Pedestrian, 25, dies after being hit by car driven by Harlow man Anthony Gilheaney in West End on Christmas Day

A man who was injured when a car being driven on the wrong side of the road by a Harlow man hit pedestrians in London’s West End on Christmas Day has died.

Aidan Chapman, 25, passed away in hospital on New Year’s Eve from the injuries he suffered, the Met police said on Thursday (Jan 2).

He was one of four pedestrians hit by a Mercedes Benz E-Class car in Shaftesbury Avenue in Soho – in the capital’s theatre district – at 12.45am.

Anthony Gilheaney, 30, from Harlow, has been charged with four counts of attempted murder as well as causing serious injury by driving whilst disqualified, driving a motor vehicle dangerously and possessing a knife in a public place.

When he appeared before Westminster magistrates on Friday (Dec 27), he was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on January 24.

The Met said that following Mr Chapman’s death, the court would review the charges.

His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

The Met’s specialist crime command is now leading the investigation and Mr Chapman’s death is being treated as a homicide.

Aidan’s parents said in a statement: “The loss of our beautiful son is a parent’s worst nightmare. We are utterly devastated with the loss of Aidan, he enriched everyone’s lives.

“He was a loving, kind, funny soul and the world is a darker place without him. We, his parents, have lost the best part of ourselves.”

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from the Met’s specialist crime command, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim’s friends and family at this difficult time.

“My team are continuing to conduct enquiries to establish all the facts surrounding the circumstances, however it has been confirmed as an isolated incident which is not terror-related.

“We would appeal to anyone who holds any CCTV or dashcam or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward as well as anyone else who might have had contact with the suspect that evening.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or message @MetCC quoting CAD 233/25DEC. Information, photos and footage can also be uploaded to Public Portal.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.