A van driver accused of mowing down pedestrians in a series of hit-and-runs in Cardiff, Wales, has appeared in court accused of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.
Matthew Tvrdon (31), was led into Cardiff Magistrates’ Court with his hands cuffed behind his back.
He is accused of deliberately running down parents and young children in the Ely and Leckwith areas of Cardiff on Friday afternoon. Mother-of-three Karina Menzies died and several children were injured in the rampage.
Mr Tvrdon spoke with a soft Cardiff accent as he confirmed his date of birth as November 13th, 1980.
Catrin Evans, prosecuting, said Tvrdon is charged with murder, 13 counts of attempted murder, four counts of actual bodily harm and one of dangerous driving. She said: “They [the charges] should be sent to the Crown Court along with the dangerous driving, which was the first incident that occurred.”
She said Mr Tyvdon would appear at Newport Crown Court at 10am tomorrow via video-link. She argued against him being granted bail and said there had been concerns about his mental health.
Since his arrest he had been to the Caswell Clinic in Bridgend for psychological assessment, Ms Evans added.
Mr Tvrdon looked relaxed as he was released from his handcuffs and brought into the courtroom. Unshaven and wearing a black jumper, he was asked to confirm he was of no fixed address. “Unfortunately, at the moment I was between moving out,” he told the court in a calm voice.
PA