A man who drove his SUV into a crowded wedding celebration in the U.K., leaving several people seriously injured, will now spend more time behind bars after a court ruled his original sentence was too light.
Gurwinder Singh, 28, caused chaos at a wedding reception in Leicester, England, when he plowed his Volkswagen Tiguan into a group of guests gathered outside the venue. Three people suffered serious injuries in the shocking incident.
Singh had previously pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and wounding with intent. In November, Leicester Crown Court sentenced him to seven and a half years in prison and banned him from driving for 12 years.
But the case didn’t end there.
The U.K.’s Solicitor General referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal, arguing it was too lenient given the seriousness of the attack. On March 6, judges agreed and increased Singh’s prison term to 10 years.
The violent incident happened in May at The Regent Sport and Social Club on De Montfort Street during a wedding celebration. According to reports, Singh rushed to the venue after his brother was thrown out of the party for arriving uninvited and intoxicated.
Instead of calming the situation, prosecutors say Singh drove his SUV directly into a crowd of wedding guests.
After crashing into the group, Singh reportedly jumped out of the vehicle and began throwing punches before fleeing the scene. He later drove to a nearby park close to his home and removed his license plates in an attempt to hide the vehicle.
Singh later claimed the crash was an accident, telling investigators he had rushed over to help his brother and that his foot slipped off the pedals because he was wearing “sliders,” a type of sandal.
But the court rejected that explanation.
Among the injured was Singh’s own cousin, who suffered devastating injuries, including a serious head wound, a brain bleed, and a fractured kneecap. The victim later said he believed he had died after waking up in the hospital.
During the appeal hearing, Lord Justice Dingemans said the original sentence failed to fully reflect the seriousness of Singh’s actions.
“The sentence was plainly insufficient,” the judge said, adding that it did not account for the full extent of the crime.
The court also pointed out that Singh had lied during the investigation, claiming someone else had driven the vehicle but saying he didn’t know who.
With the new ruling, Singh will now serve a 10-year prison sentence for the shocking attack that turned a joyful wedding celebration into a scene of chaos and injury.