A window cleaner is facing jail after admitting mowing down two men in the street, leaving one with horrific injuries after his heart was crushed under the car.

William Tooey, 28, of Islington, deliberately drove at the victims on a street near City, University of London, in Clerkenwell, on April 8, the Central Criminal Court heard.

He was driving a Vauxhall Astra estate car when he came across two the men – one on foot and the other riding a bicycle.

The pedestrian got on the bike in an apparent attempt to get away.

Tooey did a three-point turn and followed them into Rawstorne Street where he knocked down the victims, Danny O’Reilly and Braden Knowles, both aged in their 20s.

Mr O’Reilly suffered broken ribs and collar bone, bruising to the lung, crush injuries to the heart, wounds to the spleen and liver and fractured spinal bones.

Afterwards, Tooey was seen to manoeuvre out of the narrow street and make off.

The car was never recovered by police.

Tooey denied charges of attempted murder but admitted alternative offences, which were accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.

On Wednesday (August 17), he appeared at the Old Bailey by video-link from Pentonville prison.

He pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to Mr O’Reilly with intent and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Knowles with intent.

Prosecutor Oliver Dunkin said: “What this defendant did was deliberately drive at two individuals on a street.

“He did that on a very narrow street with cars parked either side with limited room to manoeuvre.

“At least one of the individuals on a pedal bike got caught under his car. In order to get away he would have had to go forwards and backwards.”

Judge Alexia Durran acknowledged the seriousness of the victim’s injuries, saying: “The car was used as a weapon – that was a highly dangerous weapon.”

The judge noted Tooey had a previous conviction for violence but said it was “of some antiquity”.

She inquired whether the defence would shed some light on what the incident was all about.

Ishad Dave, defending, responded that the court’s analysis of events would be “paramount”.

He added: “I will not be going into the whys and wherefores of why it happened and how it happened.”

Judge Durran ordered a probation report to assess the defendant’s dangerousness.

She remanded Tooey into custody and adjourned sentencing to September 21.