A Michelin-starred Dutch restaurateur allegedly stood by his British sous chef for ten minutes before calling an ambulance after running him over twice with his Land Rover while drunk.
Nick Bril, 40, owner of The Jane in Antwerp, allegedly stood next to Joe Claridge, 37, who lost his legs and some internal organs after the accident, for ten minutes and eight seconds, before sending him a message text that said: “I don’t think we’ll stay with the intern.
The accident is said to have occurred in a private staff car park opposite the two-Michelin-starred restaurant The Jane at around 6am on Monday 8 January.
Emergency services were only called after a second person urged Bril to do so and when they arrived, he did not reveal that he had run over the Brit, saying only that he was drunk, according to Dutch. reports claiming to be based on judicial sources.
This despite the fact that he had been holding his phone because he previously took a photo of the victim on the ground, according to reports.
Michelin-starred Dutch restaurateur Nick Bril (pictured in 2016, archive photo) stood by his British sous chef for ten minutes before calling an ambulance after running him over twice with his Land Rover while drunk.
Sous chef Joe Claridge (pictured), 37, was seriously injured in the car park of The Jane, a two Michelin star restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium, at around 6am on Monday 8 January.
Het Laatste Nieuws said that judicial sources told him that the investigation also showed that Bril even sent some shocking messages after the accident, according to Dutch media, one of which said: “I don’t think we will keep Joe as an intern.”
Bril reportedly sent a WhatsApp group made up of staff at gourmet restaurant The Jane the following message: ‘Guys, I just finished with our new intern. Complete KO. An ambulance and the police, everything involved.
“I don’t think we’ll keep Joe as an intern.”
Bril also reportedly told authorities: “A glass of wine, then two negronis and two beers.” Then I finished with some tequila shots with the team. I can’t say how many. I think he could still drive.
Claridge was also reportedly drunk that night, as it was Sunday, when staff traditionally finish open bottles of wine and champagne. The after party continued into the early hours and at 6am, with eight people still present.
His colleagues called Claridge a taxi and saw him stagger to the taxi rank in front of the restaurant as they were leaving, but at some point he fell to the ground.
CCTV cameras viewed by investigators reportedly revealed what happened next, although they do not show exactly how Claridge fell.
Soon Bril appears, closes the restaurant door and heads to his Land Rover. At 6.20am, Bril reverses and turns his car right where Claridge lies.
It then stops, with Claridge lying between the front and rear wheels of the Land Rover, it was reported.
Bril then moves forward and runs over the victim a second time with the same wheel, before moving forward a little before stopping the car.
The chef then reportedly came out and walked towards Claridge, with footage showing the latter still moving on the floor.
Bril said she tried to wake him up “but it didn’t work and I panicked.”
Bril reportedly sent a WhatsApp group made up of staff at gourmet restaurant The Jane (pictured in 2015, file photo) the following message: ‘Guys, I just finished with our new intern. Complete KO. An ambulance and the police, all involved.
The Land Rover supposedly belonging to Bril is seen being towed by authorities for examination after the January accident.
At 6:29, a jogger appeared and spoke to Bril, wondering why an ambulance had not been called. The broker told local media that Bril said: “I have a new phone and I still can’t use it properly.”
The runner then went to the reception of a nearby hotel and asked them to call emergency services.
Bril makes no mention of the accident and instead portrays Claridge as simply a drunken man lying unconscious in the street.
Bril takes another photo of Claridge before calling emergency services as the jogger returns from the hotel, exactly 10 minutes and 8 seconds after noticing Claridge lying on the ground behind his vehicle, according to local media.
He reportedly tells them there is a drunk man on the street, but again he doesn’t talk about running him over.
The ambulance arrived 10 minutes later, and Bril still did not tell them that he had hit Claridge with his Land Rover.
Doctors placed Claridge on a stretcher and began caring for him in the ambulance.
They then noticed Claridge was seriously injured and called the police.
Meanwhile, Bril is sitting in his car with the engine ready to start, and only the ambulance blocks his way.
However, the police tested his alcohol at 1.67 per millimeter of blood alcohol. The legal limit in the Netherlands is 0.5 per millimeter.
Following the accident, Claridge’s mother immediately traveled to Holland to care for her son in hospital until he woke up from a coma 50 days later.
Claridge reportedly lost several organs and had to have both of his legs amputated.
Reports say he is still in the hospital and has a long rehabilitation ahead of him.
Not only is Bril suspected of intoxication behind the wheel and the accident itself, but the investigating judge is also investigating whether he committed negligence by not providing immediate assistance.
One of the doctors who treated Claridge told authorities they were angry with Bril, adding: “I felt really bad because he wasn’t honest with us.” This could have had serious consequences for the victim.’
They added: ‘If Bril had said the man had been hit by a car, we would have acted differently. Then we wouldn’t have put him in the ambulance immediately.’
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
Police cars are seen at the scene in January after the incident, which prosecutors understand they are treating as an accident.
Omar Souidi, Nick Bril’s lawyer, told local media: “I cannot contact my client, Mr. Nick Bril, at this time. When I look at his social media, I suspect that he is still abroad (in a time zone different)’.
And he added: ‘I note that today journalists seem to have quicker access to a secret investigation than the parties directly involved.
‘If this is the case, it is shocking and a clear violation of, among other things, Nick Bril’s rights of defense and the right to a fair trial.
‘Nick Bril also has his rights. I will advise you to claim them in full.
When asked to comment, the Antwerp prosecutor’s office told local media that the investigation is still ongoing and communicating it is not yet an option.