Express & Star

Watch the horrifying moment a carjacker is filmed smashing his way through glass

This is the horrifying moment thugs chased and boxed a driver into a car park before smashing in his car window and taking off with the vehicle in Wolverhampton.

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The victim turned on the video camera on his phone in an attempt to deter the group which stopped him at the former Travelodge car park in Wolverhampton city centre.

But the gang then attacked the IT technician's silver Citroen C3 - smashing a window and forcing the 32-year-old to flee with his keys still in the ignition.

Less than six hours later, the victim was told by police that his car had been discovered submerged in a canal in Wednesfield three miles away. The picture of the car in the canal appeared in the Express & Star yesterday.

Lee, who does not wish his full name to be published in fear of repercussions, said: "This is the optimum of criminality - I had done nothing, nothing wrong.

"All I did was not budge out their way as they were speeding to get past me on the roads before this started.

"I kept to the speed limit while a car came up right behind me - and this is what I got."

The early morning drama began when Lee went out for a drive shortly after midnight on Sunday night.

While on his way back home he saw a car, he believes to be a black Corsa, in his wing mirror following closely behind.

From Foxes Lane, he stopped at the Dunstall roundabout to let cars pass, but was 'beeped' at by the car behind again.

As he went down Waterloo Lane, the car behind sped up and he tried to escape, ending up in Bath Avenue and at a dead end at the former Travelodge.

He said: "I unknowingly hit a dead end. They parked up behind me and one man appeared in a hoody.

"When I pulled out my camera, he went, but then another man suddenly appeared and smashed my driver's side window with a metal stick of some sort.

"I crouched and then pulled myself out the other side before running away along Waterloo Road."

Twitter user @nathancleary posted this image of the car

Lee, from Wednesfield, then called the police - but when officers arrived shortly after 1am and he took them to the car, it was gone.

Lee said: "My keys were inside the car so immediately I had no car, no home and was left with cuts on my body."

After getting a locksmith to allow him back into his flat, Lee then got a call from police, stating his car was in the Wyrley and Essington Canal in Wednesfield.

He said: "It was mad, there was no reason to do this to me. I lost my job two weeks ago and then this. I'm in a desperate situation right now."

The car has since been recovered from the canal and police are investigating.

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: "Police were called to reports of a car being stolen from Bath Avenue at around 1am.

"At around 4.40am police were called to a canal just off the High Street in Wednesfield where a car was found. It is believed that the car was the same car stolen from Bath Avenue.

"Inquiries are on-going. Anyone with information are urged to call Wolverhampton Investigation Team on 101."

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