Ashfield murder trial: Jury goes out in trial of man accused of murder and attempted murder

It is alleged that John 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 Donner, 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.

But he has admitted charges of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving.

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.

On Tuesday, March 9, Jefferies told the jury that Mr Donner had threatened to have him killed by involving the Irish mafia.

Giving evidence in his own defence, Jefferies said: “He said that I was gone, that I was dead. He said he had friends in the Irish mafia, the mob, and they were coming for me.

“I was scared for the kids, for myself, and for my partner. He mentioned my former partner and said he knew how I used to treat her.”

The court heard that earlier in the day in question, Jefferies had got into an altercation with another man in an unrelated incident, and had later gone on a family visit to Gulliver’s Kingdom, in Matlock Bath.

Yesterday, Judge Stuart Rafferty QC spent the day sunning up the case before sending the jury out this morning (Thursday, March 11). At this stage he has told them they must reach a unanimous verdict.

Following the collision, Jefferies had then fled the scene in his work van, first meeting up with his brother at Pinxton Bridge, and then meeting other family members at King’s Mill Reservoir so he could hug and say goodbye to his daughter.

He was then driven to the home of another relative where he handed himself in to police.

During cross examination, prosecutor Mary Prior QC told him: “You intended to use your vehicle as a weapon. You told police you intended to use your vehicle to frighten them. You were going to put the fear of God into them.”

Chad is monitoring proceedings throughout the day and will report as soon as a verdict is reached.

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