Two Men Convicted in Bristol NHS Worker Attack

Phillip Adams, 26, and Patrick James, 22, have been sentenced for conspiring to inflict grievous bodily harm on NHS worker Katungua Tjitendero, who was severely injured when their car mounted the pavement and struck him near Southmead Hospital in Bristol on July 22, 2020. Tjitendero, 25, suffered multiple serious injuries, including a fractured fibula and extensive lacerations, requiring significant surgery. Eyewitness accounts described the attackers fleeing the scene while using racial slurs, although the court did not prosecute the incident as a hate crime. Both men were found guilty at Bristol Crown Court, with Adams receiving a six-year sentence and James an eight-and-a-half-year sentence. Detective Superintendent Mike Buck highlighted the seriousness of the crime, noting a link to a prior hit-and-run involving a cyclist filmed by James. The case underscores the violence faced by essential workers during challenging times, as Tjitendero had been returning home after his shift.