A British chef had both legs amputated after his Michelin-starred restaurateur boss allegedly ran him over with his Land Rover following a drunken party earlier this year.
Sous chef Joe Claridge, 37, was seriously injured in the car park of The Jane, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium, at around 6am on Monday 8 January.
The horrific incident is said to have occurred after staff left a Sunday night party which lasted into the early hours of the morning.
The vehicle was driven by celebrity chef Nick Bril, 40, manager of The Jane restaurant, who got behind the wheel of his Land Rover after the party.
Dutchman Bril was reversing out of the restaurant parking lot when he allegedly accidentally reversed into Claridge, who was behind the vehicle, crushing him under the wheels.
The vehicle was driven by celebrity chef Nick Bril, 40, pictured.
Sous chef Joe Claridge, 37, was seriously injured in the car park of The Jane, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium, at around 6am on Monday 8 January.
Authorities tow the Land Rover supposedly belonging to Bril for examination.
According to a jogger who witnessed the incident, the celebrity chef did not immediately call emergency services and only did so after onlookers urged him to do so. He also did not mention that he had run over the victim.
Meanwhile, Claridge was taken to hospital, seriously injured and in critical condition, and remained in an artificial coma for 50 days at the University Hospital Antwerp (UZA) in Edegems while surgeons performed multiple operations.
Claridge emerged from a coma at the end of February, more than six weeks after the incident, but has only now, five months after the tragedy, been able to speak after having a breathing tube removed.
Although his mental functions remained intact, Claridge had to have both of his lower limbs amputated, such was the damage caused by the weight of the Land Rover.
That vehicle was seen being towed by authorities after the incident for examination.
Bril’s lawyer, Omar Souidi, confirmed to the Belgian press that his client had not been arrested.
He said: ‘Nick’s thoughts are currently with the victim. It’s his only concern at the moment. He hopes everything goes well for his employee.’
Souidi also reportedly confirmed that Bril had failed a breathalyzer test, adding: “Further investigation will be necessary to demonstrate whether there is a causal relationship between my client’s alcohol intoxication and the incident itself.”
Bril has written her own cookbook and recently appeared on the reality show Special Forces: Who Dares Wins on Belgium’s VTM.
Jane opened its doors in 2014 in the chapel of a former military hospital and is considered one of the best restaurants in Antwerp.
Prosecutors are currently treating the incident as an accident.
Dutch chef Nick Bril poses for the photographer during the presentation of the 2023 edition of the French gastronomic guide ‘Gault et Millau’ for the Benelux region
While Bril continues cooking at The Jane, Claridge continues his recovery.
In comments limited to Belgian broadcaster ATV broadcast by NieuwsbladThe Jersey sous-chef said he enjoyed his time at The Jane and learned a lot in a short time before the accident.
He said he had taken the job as an assistant chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant because he had plans to open his own business in France.
But Claridge did not comment on the incident itself.
Prosecutors are currently treating the incident as an accident, with nNumerous media reports claimed that Claridge appeared to be lying on the ground before being hit by the Land Rover, and that the incident was captured on the restaurant’s CCTV.
The investigation is ongoing.