An angry motorist, who used his car to attack two soldiers in Maidstone, has been convicted of attempting to murder them both.

Anthony Deeprose - who is banned from driving - deliberately ran over the head of one soldier and knocked his colleague over the bonnet of his car.

Now the 29-year-old is facing a long jail sentence after a jury at Maidstone Crown Court convicted him of attempted murder after hearing how one of the soldiers suffered life-changing head wounds.

The jury asked for a few minutes to compose themselves before returning guilty verdicts to two attempted murders.

Judge Philip Statman will sentence him later this year after ordering a report as to what danger Deeprose poses for the future.

He told him: " You are going away for a very substantial period of time."

The judge then commended DC Mark Butler and his team "who had left no stone unturned in investigating the incident."

The court heard how the incident - which was caught on CCTV - took place at just past midnight on November 12, 2022, outside Society Rooms in Week Street.

A group of soldiers, based at the Invicta Park barracks in Maidstone, had been attending an 80s fancy dress party in their barracks for the Help The Heroes charity.

Soldier Ben Walsh, dressed as Freddie Mercury, and his pal George Wilkie, who was cartoon character Mario, had then gone with colleagues to the pub near Maidstone East Station.

Anthony Deeprose, 29, of Church Close and formerly Beechcolme Close in Ashford, had denied two attempted murder charges.

Prosecutor Patrick Dennis told the court: "The defendant assaulted one of the soldiers, Alex White, punching him in the head. He had been drinking and was disqualified from driving.

"That didn’t prevent him from getting into his car and deliberately driving his car at the other group knocking over Mr Walsh and clipping his colleague.

“He then drove off, leaving Mr Walsh injured in the road before turning around. As Mr Wilkie attempted to pull his friend to safety, Deeprose then aimed at him as people looked on in horror.

"The defendant then deliberately drove over Mr Walsh's head as he lay in the road and causing Mr Wilkie to fly over the bonnet

Mr Dennis added : "By coming back and deliberately driving at the group again, particularly over Mr Walsh’s head as he lay injured in the road, he was intending to kill him.

"The defendant reversed the vehicle out of the parking space and then drove it quite deliberately at the group in the road without any lights on.

"This caused Mr Walsh to fall to the floor and clipped Mr Wilkie. There can be no doubt this was a deliberate action by the defendant. He then drove away.

"He could have carried on driving away. There were numerous exit routes open to him that would have taken him far away from the scene but that would not have satisfied this defendant’s savage and violent urges that evening."

Deeprose had admitted assaulting Mr White, driving while disqualified and causing serious injury to Mr Walsh by driving dangerously.

The prosecutor said: "He became increasingly angry which had first manifested itself into violence when he punched Mr White.

"It progressed to him deliberately driving at the group on the first occasion. At the very least, on that occasion, he was using his car as a weapon.”

Deeprose told the jury he did not drive at anyone deliberately and said he did not see Mr Walsh.

He thought the 'bump' was the car hitting the kerb and he realised he had hit Mr Wilkie when he somersaulted over the car.

But he maintained he had never intended to strike him.

Sentencing has been adjourned until October 6.