Van rampage man spared murder trial

Karina Menzies was killed in the hit-and-run collision
4 June 2013

A van driver who admitted mowing down a mother-of-three in a devastating hit-and-run rampage will not stand trial for murder, it has emerged.

Paranoid schizophrenic Matthew Tvrdon admitted the manslaughter of Karina Menzies through diminished responsibility last month.

That plea and others linked to the case have now been accepted, allowing the case to move directly to sentencing, it is understood.

Tvrdon, 32, was due at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday to learn whether his victims and the prosecution accepted his guilty pleas. Had they been rejected it was still possible that he could stand trial for murder or for any of the other related offences.

The hearing before judge Mr Justice Wyn Williams is now likely to be used to sentence Tvrdon on the basis of his guilty pleas. It is understood that two other charges will be put to him during his appearance, via videolink, in Cardiff.

At the last hearing he admitted the lesser charge of manslaughter after denying the murder of Ms Menzies, 31.

The mother-of-three was knocked down and killed in Cardiff, south Wales, in October last year. The hit-and-run rampage happened on a quiet Friday afternoon in Cardiff's Ely and Leckwith districts. Of the 13 injured people, two were left fighting for their lives in a critical condition. Only Ms Menzies lost her life.

Family and friends of the victims crowded into the court last month to hear Tvrdon's guilty pleas.

In addition to manslaughter he admitted seven counts of attempted murder, two of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and two of attempted GBH He also admitted four counts of causing actual bodily harm and one of dangerous driving

Tvrdon appeared at the hearing via videolink from Ashworth high security psychiatric hospital in Maghull, Merseyside. Tvrdon will be given the chance to plead to two other charges related to his case when he appears. The judge is then expected to pass directly to sentencing but could adjourn matters for pre-sentence reports.

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