Ashfield man met up with family member at King's Mill Reservoir before handing himself in to police, murder trial told

On the fourth day of the murder trial of John Jefferies at Nottingham Crown Court today (Thursday, March 4), the jury heard statements read by prosecution barrister Mary Prior QC.

It is alleged that Jefferies deliberately drove at the two men as an “act of revenge” after one of them kicked in the windscreen of his Range Rover, which had been parked outside his girlfriend’s house, and shouted threats at him.

Samuel Donna, 29, died at the scene of the collision, on Southwell Lane, Kirkby, on Saturday, August 8 last year, after fracturing his skull and suffering bleeding to his brain and damage to his spinal column.

A second man, Conna Ross, survived but suffered an open fracture to his lower leg and a laceration to the scalp.

Jefferies, 31, formerly of Walesby Drive, Kirkby, denies the murder of Mr Donner, and charges of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent against Mr Ross.

Before the incident, Mr Donner had climbed onto Jefferies’ Range Rover and kicked in the windscreen and neighbours described hearing him shouting at the defendant.

The court heard that Jefferies had made a series of calls following the collision, first to his former partner, asking her to come and collect their daughter, who was staying with him at the time.

He then made calls to several friends and family members, telling one that he was in Chesterfield and to meet him at ‘the lawn’, which she understood to mean Sutton Lawn, but when she arrived, Jefferies was nowhere insight.

The witness, who was trying to take her former partner and their daughter to say goodbye to the defendant before he handed himself in, was then redirected to King’s Mill Reservoir, where other relatives converged, and where Jefferies later arrived in his work van, the court heard.

Prior to the gathering, he had also spoken to his brother and the pair had briefly met at Pinxton Bridge.

In her statement to police, Jefferies’ mother Dawn described the meeting at the reservoir.

She said: “He hugged everyone who was present and said that he loved us all. He said that he had hit someone in his Range Rover, and that someone had smashed it up prior to the incident.

“He said he was going to hand himself in to the police and wanted to spend some time with his family.”

They then drove to another relative’s house where Jefferies had agreed to hand himself in to police, she said.

“Describing the journey, Mrs Jefferies added: “I didn’t speak, I was just heartbroken. John sat in the back with his daughter, telling her that he loved her and that they were best friends, and would always be best friends. The police were cordial and allowed him to hug and shake hands with relatives before he got into the police car.”

In tomorrow’s proceedings, the jury is expected to hear evidence from crash investigators.

The trial continues.

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