Woman in court after car hits pedestrians in Soho

A 29-year-old woman, Gabrielle Carrington, appeared in court on charges of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm following a collision in central London. The incident occurred early Sunday morning, leaving one woman with critical injuries. Carrington, from Manchester, was remanded in custody and faces additional counts of actual bodily harm and drink-driving. She is known online under the username RIELLEUK, with over 365,000 Instagram followers.

The Metropolitan Police received a call at 04:30 BST to Argyll Street in Soho after reports of a vehicle striking pedestrians. Three individuals were involved: Klaudia Zakrzewska, 30, and a man in his 50s sustained serious injuries, while another woman suffered minor harm. Carrington is accused of causing life-altering injuries to security guard Anoush Chyche, who was among those hit. She is also charged with assault resulting in actual bodily harm against Latisha Armstrong, a third victim.

During the hearing, tests revealed Carrington had 61 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. Family members of Zakrzewska attended the proceedings, and the accused was observed gesturing toward her supporters in the courtroom. Her subsequent court date is scheduled for 19 May at the Old Bailey.

“Proceedings against the defendant are ongoing, and she is entitled to a fair trial,” said David Malone, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the CPS in north London. “It is crucial that no online commentary or information sharing influences these cases.”

Carrington’s career includes participation in the X Factor live finals in 2013 as part of the group Miss Dynamix. The case highlights the severity of the incident, which has sparked attention across social platforms. For updates, listeners can tune into BBC Radio London on Sounds or follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be sent to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk.