Antwerp Court Hands Suspended Sentence to Chef Nick Bril for Hit-and-Run and Negligence

Antwerp court gives Michelin-starred chef Nick Bril a 12-month suspended sentence for negligence and hit-and-run involving assistant Joe Claridge.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 8, 2026, 7:18 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Brussels Times

Judicial Determination on the Liability of the Accident

The Antwerp criminal court has issued a ruling in the high-profile case of Nick Bril, the chef of the renowned restaurant The Jane, regarding a serious incident involving his assistant, Joe Claridge. The court determined that Bril was not legally responsible for the collision itself, which occurred in the restaurant’s car park following a staff gathering in January 2024. According to the judge’s statement, it was impossible for the driver to have seen the victim, who was already lying on the ground behind the vehicle. The court ruled that expecting a driver to detect such an obstacle exceeded the standard of a prudent person, leading to an acquittal on the charge of involuntary assault.

Critical Delays in Emergency Response and Medical Care

Despite the acquittal regarding the impact, the court focused heavily on Bril’s actions immediately following the discovery of the injured assistant. Evidence presented during the trial showed that the chef waited 10 minutes before contacting emergency services. The judge described this delay as evidence of "very selfish behavior," noting that even if Bril was unaware he had caused the injuries, the necessity for urgent medical attention was immediately apparent. This failure to act promptly formed the basis for the conviction on the grounds of culpable negligence, as the victim had sustained life-threatening injuries that resulted in a coma and the loss of both legs.

Legal Findings on Hit-and-Run and Post-Accident Conduct

The court found that Bril attempted to leave the scene after the event, a move that the judge classified as a hit-and-run. Furthermore, during his initial interactions with authorities, the chef failed to mention that his vehicle had struck the victim. This omission was viewed by the court as a deliberate attempt to distance himself from the severity of the situation. By establishing these facts, the judge emphasized that the legal responsibility for a hit-and-run does not solely depend on the driver’s awareness of the initial impact but also on their conduct once the gravity of the situation is realized.