A joyrider who ploughed into a crowd of children watching a Christmas lights switch on has been jailed for 20 months.

Louis Browning, 20, from King Henry's Drive, New Addington, crashed into the crowd during the Christmas lights ceremony in New Addington on November 22.

He pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and driving while disqualified at an earlier hearing and was given a maximum 20 months jail sentence at Croydon Magistrates' Court today.

He drove into the crowd in a stolen car, knocking over 13-year-old Bradley Humphrey and Taylor Jenner, who was nine when the accident happened.

The children were part of a sea cadets band TS Endeavour playing at the Christmas celebration.

Ian Jenner, who has three children in the band, said: “We were standing outside the community centre when it happened.

"The band were marching up and we were waiting for them and wondering why they were taking so long.

“Suddenly we saw police and ambulances fly past.

"I thought someone had fallen off one of the floats.

"Then there was an annoucement over the tannoy that some kids had been hurt. I looked at my wife and said I was going up.

“Then I heard it was my daughter who had been hurt by the car.

"She was OK when I got there, she only started crying when she saw me. Up until then she was very brave.

“I feel a lot of anger, I would like to get my hands on that guy.

"For what he has done I would like to be locked in a room with him and have a one-to-one with him.”

Taylor plays the cymbals in the band, sister Daniella plays the bells and brother Jordan plays the drums.

The youngest sister will join the band as well when she is older.

PC Keith Gray, 37, tried to stop the car by smashing the windscreen with his baton but he was thrown over the bonnet of the blue Renault Scenic and run over, fracturing his back.

He has been off work recovering ever since.

He said: “I was hell-bent on stopping this guy from killing.

"I just wanted to stop him. In 12 years of police work I have never seen anything like it.

“What this bloke has done is incredible – the stupidity, the danger he put people in.

“It really was quite a shocking incident, he hurt children.”

Bradley’s dad Graham Humphrey spoke to the Croydon Guardian about his thoughts moments after his son was injured.

He said: “I was just horrified, so many thoughts were going through my head about what might have happened.”

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