A MAN used his car as a “weapon” as he sped into two motorbikes and caused the death of teenager Harley Lea, a court heard today.
Murder trial begins
The trial of Brandon Glover, 24, who is charged with murdering the 17-year-old after a crash on Park Road in Blackbrook in the early hours of October 4 last year, began on Tuesday at Liverpool Crown Court before judge Nicholas Barker.
Glover denies a charge of murder, a further count of manslaughter, as well as two counts of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and two counts of attempted GBH with intent.
Prosecution makes opening statement
Addressing the jury in his opening statement, prosecuting barrister Andrew O’Byrne KC said the case “concerns the death of a young man as a result of a collision” involving a Toyota Corolla “driven by the defendant” and a Honda motorbike ridden by Harley Lea on Park Road, near the junction with Boardmans Lane.
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Mr O’Byrne said “serious injuries were caused” in the crash to “two young men” who were passengers on the bike, Jordan Carter and Louis Coleman.
During the “pursuit” the Toyota had also initially struck another motorbike, ridden by Alexander Owen, carrying passenger Leeland Lea, both of whom “escaped injury” and “ran away”.
Glover 'used his car as a weapon', court told
Mr O’Byrne said to the jury: “Why then are we about to embark upon a criminal trial? The answer is that we, the prosecution, say the incident referred to was no accident.
“We say that fatality and the serious injuries were a result of a deliberate manner of driving by the defendant.
“Not to put too fine a point on it, our case is he used his car as a weapon and drove that weapon at the motorbikes”.
Motorbike 'stolen'
Outlining events earlier that night before the crash, Mr O’Byrne said the defendant’s younger brother, Benjamin Glover “lived at his mother’s address” and “was the owner of a motorbike” and “used to park that bike at night at his mother’s front garden and “used a padlock and chain to secure” it.
He said Benjamin Glover’s mother saw “a group of young males” cutting the bike free and when she and Benjamin went outside just after midnight it “had gone”.
Mr O’Byrne said Benjamin reported the theft to police and “phoned his brother”, the defendant, who “lived elsewhere” in St Helens. The defendant “offered to help search for the bike” and drove his Toyota Corolla to the family home.
It was said shortly before 12.15am on October, the brothers “decided to go and see if they could find these youths and recover the bike”.
It was said their journey “took them around the area” and “eventually they heard the sound of motorbikes and, unsurprisingly they decided to investigate”.
Toyota 'pursued motorbikes'
Mr O’Byrne said Glover “pursued” the group “at speed” and on Park Road was driving the Toyota at least "67 miles per hour".
He said there was initially a “collision as the front of the defendant’s car “came into contact with the rear wheel” of the bike ridden by Alexander Owen, also carrying passenger Leeland Lea.
The bike ended up on the pavement and the rider and passenger “came off the bike” and then “ran away”.
Meanwhile, the Toyota hit the other bike, the Honda, and “came to a halt” at the junction with Boardmans Lane.
“Sadly, the upside consequence of that collision was that later that night, Harley Lea died as a result of the injuries he had suffered”.
Mr O’Byrne, who played a 25-minute compilation of CCTV footage to the court, said it is the prosecution’s case in relation to the murder charge that Glover “intended at the very least to cause the riders and passengers harm”.
A post-mortem examination established the cause of death as head injuries, the court heard.
Mr O’Byrne added that the defendant “phoned emergency services” and “remained at the scene” after the crash.
In a police interview after his arrest, Glover said he had been “driving at around 40mph” and “hit something on the road, an unknown object”. It was said to the court that somebody was "waving" cutters at Glover during the pursuit, "taunting him".
Mr O’Byrne said “police established no debris on the road, the surface was good, visibility was good and weather conditions were dry”, adding “one final ironical detail” was that “neither bike” involved in the crash “was the bike that had been stolen”.
He said: “None of the young men were wearing crash helmets, that is a fact that must have been obvious to the defendant as he pursued them”.
It was added Jordan Carter suffered a leg fracture and Louis Coleman’s injuries included pelvic fractures, and to the right elbow, femur and lower leg.
Mr O’Byrne told the seven women and five men of the jury that through the course of the trial, the prosecution would present witness evidence and play CCTV footage.
Glover's defence counsel will then present evidence to the jury, with the trial expected to last until around the end of next week.
Glover, of Pasture Close, Clock Face, denies charges of murdering Harley Lea, of manslaughter, of causing GBH with intent to Jordan Carter and to Louis Coleman, and attempted GBH with intent to Alexander Owen and Leeland Lea.
The trial continues.
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