Sweet factory worker convicted of attempted murder of six co-workers

Cleckheaton sweet factory worker Andrew Wrigglesworth (50) has today (26 August) at Leeds Crown Court been convicted of the attempted murder of six men, after a fight at a Christmas party at Moorlands Working Men’s Club in Cleckheaton in the early hours of 22 December 2019.

Just after last orders, as the party was breaking up, Wrigglesworth got into a scuffle and was punched in the face. This seemed to enrage him. Witnesses heard him say ‘I’m going to f****ing kill them. I’m going to run them over.”

He was then seen to run to his vehicle and, mounting the pavement, deliberately drove at the six men. One of the six men was very seriously injured. The other five men were all also injured and some were knocked unconscious. Wrigglesworth did not stop at the scene, but drove off at high speed, with his windscreen shattered.

Tariq Bostan from the CPS said: “This was an appalling act in which Mr Wrigglesworth, using his car as a weapon, ploughed into the six men, the majority of whom were work colleagues, knocking them over like bowling pins.

“It is only by great good fortune that no lives were lost that night. It could all too easily have ended in absolute tragedy.

“Mr Wrigglesworth has made no attempt to take responsibility for what he did.

“He will now be facing a substantial prison sentence. He will have ample time to reflect on the absolute folly of his actions.”