Driver rammed man before his girlfriend robbed the victim's gold chain

A man has been convicted of attempted murder after he used a car to hit a man twice, before his girlfriend jumped out and proceeded to rob the victim. 

Melvin Winters, 46, used his black Vauxhall Insignia as a weapon to smash into the 42-year-old.

His girlfriend Josie James, 32, then got out of the vehicle and stole a gold chain from him, before the pair drove away together and left the man lying in the road seriously injured.

Emergency services were called to a potentially fatal collision in Pope Road in The Scotlands, Wolverhampton, at around 2.20pm on July 2. 

The victim was treated for serious injuries to his legs, ribs and shoulder by paramedics before he was taken to hospital, where he is currently continuing his recovery.

Enquiries quickly established that the man had been struck by a black Vauxhall Insignia, which was found abandoned in nearby Masefield Mews at around 3.05pm the same day and recovered for forensic examinations.

CCTV evidence showed that the couple had met their victim that afternoon and there was an argument. 

The victim was seen walking away when Winters hit him with the car, knocking him over.

Winters then drove round and while the man was still on the ground, he hit him with the car for a second time.

As the man lay badly injured, James got out of the car and took a gold chain from him before she and Winters drove off, leaving their victim behind.

The pair were quickly identified and traced with officers arresting them from separate addresses three days later on July 5.

The pair denied the charges against them but both Winters and James were convicted of robbery on December 18. 

Winters was also convicted of attempted murder following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Winters and James, both from Bushbury, Wolverhampton, will be sentenced on February 10.

DC Reece Markham, from the Major Crime Unit, said: 'Whatever the reason for the argument, using a car as a weapon to injury someone is horrendous and could have resulted in the victim losing their life. 

'For the passenger of the car to have seen what happened and then get out and rob the victim as he lay on the ground, without offering him any help, is appalling.

'Despite both of them denying the charges and refusing to take responsibility for their callous actions they have rightly been convicted of this crime.'