Martin Eastwood, 22, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 30 years for the murder of Liam Dent, 25, in a revenge attack outside a pub in Chessington, south-west London. Eastwood used a stolen Ford S-Max to run over Dent and drag him for more than half a mile at speeds of up to 32mph in the early hours of 26 July 2019.
Dent was conscious and screaming for help when he became free from under the vehicle, but died from horrific injuries. Judge Wendy Joseph described the death as 'cruel', noting that Eastwood must have heard his victim's screams. Eastwood had previously been convicted of two incidents where he used a car as a weapon.
The court heard that Dent's mother, Stacey Dent, addressed Eastwood directly, saying: 'Why couldn't you have just stopped and spared my son his life? He was tortured and left for dead screaming for help.' She added that Eastwood should never be allowed a normal day of life.
Eastwood's friend Daniel Morris, 22, who admitted manslaughter, drove behind in a Volvo honking his horn for him to stop. He was jailed for five-and-a-half years. Eastwood's girlfriend, Jasmine Robinson, 19, was found guilty of assisting an offender and given a two-year suspended sentence.
