A witness has described how "all hell broke loose" outside a pub on the day Daniel Ambler was allegedly murdered. The 23-year-old died following a collision at the Esso Asda Express Service Station in Seaham, County Durham, on January 15.
Teesside Crown Court heard how a Nissan car was deliberately driven at him, hitting him, and continued to crash into the petrol station shop. Matthew Donkin KC, prosecuting, said Daniel was crushed and died immediately.
Witness account of the incident
The jury was told how a "feud between families" erupted into violence. Mr Donkin said five defendants allegedly arrived as a team and "targeted" Daniel.
In a recorded police interview played to the jury on Thursday, Andrew Abbott described seeing three people walking past the Mallard pub in Seaham, heading towards a man standing at a bus shelter. He told DC Redhead how he saw a car travel very quickly up the road, take a right, cross the wrong carriageway, and hit the curb. He said: "The two doors opened on the driver's side and then all hell broke loose."
Mr Abbott described how the man at the bus shelter ran across the road into the Mallard garden area, followed by the "character in the car." He said: "The battle went across the road. I didn't see any weapons." The witness said the driver got back in, turned sharply, and accelerated as hard as he could, heading straight for two people. He added: "The next thing the crash, the wall went down and I'm expecting to see bodies. They must have somehow got out of the way."
Prosecution case and defendants
The court previously heard that the alleged attack began at a bus stop, with Mr Ambler running away before being chased, assaulted, and injured. Mr Donkin said Ashton Anderson was driving the car, with Ajay Henry and Tyler Leadbetter as passengers in the back, while Barry Anderson and his brother Logan Anderson were a short distance away on foot, having been involved in the initial violence.
The prosecutor said Logan Anderson had chased Daniel from the bus stop towards the petrol station forecourt, passing a small patch of grass. He said: "It's the prosecution's case that Logan Anderson attacked him [Daniel] with a weapon." CCTV footage previously shown to the jury shows Mr Ambler standing at a bus stop with two friends before a car drives towards them and everyone scatters.
Reece Wilkin and Barry Anderson then get into a fight near the Mallard beer garden, and as they fight, Ashton Anderson ploughs a car into them. The vehicle crashes through the beer garden wall, narrowly missing Barry Anderson, before reversing and driving towards the garage.
Eyewitness at the petrol station
On Wednesday afternoon, witness Daniel Miller told the jury he saw a man being struck by a car at the garage while filling up his own vehicle. He said: "The chap got struck from behind and the car sort of pushed the person into the front of the shop area, into the garage. Then the car came to a stop."
Mr Miller said three people ran out of the car and "instantly started running after they got out of the car." He estimated the car was travelling at between 30 to 40mph and told Mr Donkin he saw no sign of the vehicle braking or slowing down before it hit the man, replying: "I didn't."
Barry Anderson, 52, of Canon Cockin Street, Sunderland, Ashton Anderson, 20, of Noble Street, Peterlee, Barry Logan Anderson, 19, of Shotton Bank, Hartlepool, Ajay Henry, 18, of Melrose Crescent, Seaham, and Tyler Leadbetter, 18, of Elgin Avenue, Seaham, all deny murder. Ashton Anderson has admitted violent disorder.
