A bitter feud between two families erupted into fatal violence when one man was crushed to death against shelving units at a County Durham petrol station.
Daniel Ambler was beaten, chased and rammed into a garage shop after being spotted at a bus stop with friends.
The 23-year-old was hit by a Nissan X-Trail at the Esso garage on Stockton Road, Seaham, at about 4.50pm on Thursday, January 15, and suffered fatal injuries.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Barry Anderson, his sons Ashton and Logan, Aja Henry and Tyler Leadbetter are accused of murder and violent disorder.
Prosecutor Matthew Donkin said the catalyst for the violence was the stabbing of Barry Anderson in August last year.
Mr Ambler’s brother David and his friend Jed Wilson fought the 52-year-old, who was stabbed during the fight.
The jury heard that Ashton Anderson saw Mr Ambler waiting for a bus in Seaham, then rounded up his father, brother and two friends before the killing.
CCTV showed the group gathering in a nearby cul-de-sac, checking twice that Mr Ambler was there before attacking him, Mr Donkin said.
Esso New Seaham Service Station, SEaham
Barry and Logan Anderson approached on foot while Ashton drove the Nissan towards Mr Ambler and his friends at the bus shelter.
Mr Donkin said Barry Anderson chased Mr Ambler’s friend Reece Wilkin and began fighting him before his son Logan joined in.
He said: “After the Nissan had hit the wall, Reece Wilkin had fallen behind it and Barry Anderson was still on the pavement side, to the left of the Nissan.
“Barry Anderson immediately climbed over the wall to carry on attacking Reece Wilkin. Immediately after colliding with the wall, Ashton Anderson got out of the Nissan and also went over the wall and started attacking Reece Wilkin.
“Then after him, out came firstly Tyler Leadbetter and then Ajay Henry. Rather than distancing themselves, they not only got out of the car but then they too climbed over the wall and joined in the attack.”
Logan Anderson chased Mr Ambler up the road on foot before attacking him.
Mr Donkin said: “Logan Anderson can be seen on the CCTV to be swinging an item at him as a weapon. At one stage Daniel Ambler was on the ground and Logan Anderson stood over him.
“This was around the time that Ashton, Ajay and Tyler were all getting back into the Nissan, having already attacked Reece Wilkin.”
The jury heard that Mr Ambler headed towards the petrol station before Ashton Anderson drove at him in the Nissan.
He said: “What happened in those last seconds of the incident is well captured in the recordings and they show how Daniel Ambler was killed. It was a deliberate piece of driving by Ashton Anderson to drive up the road after him, to turn into the forecourt and continue to pursue him and then to drive into him.
“And once he hit him, there was no deviation or attempt to stop, the car was driven into the front of the shop with the inevitable consequence of killing Daniel Ambler.”
A forensic officer working at the scene on Saturday (January 17).
The jury heard that Ashton Anderson, Tyler Leadbetter and Aja Henry jumped out when the car became wedged in the shop front.
Anderson’s girlfriend Alexis Prest was also in the car but was not involved in the violence, the court heard.
A post-mortem examination found that Mr Ambler had suffered numerous external and internal injuries, including internal bleeding and multiple fractures.
Mr Donkin said: "In particular he suffered injuries to the neck, face and head area including lacerations resulting in substantial blood loss and fractures to the vertebrae in the neck, and that this was the result of the impact of the car and striking the front of the garage shop.”
Police interviewed eyewitnesses after launching the murder investigation and quickly identified and arrested the five defendants.
Barry Anderson, 52, of Canon Cockin Street, Sunderland; Ashton Anderson, 20, of Ryton Crescent, Seaham; and Barry Logan Anderson, 19, of Nursery View, Shotton Bank, charged with murder and violent disorder.
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Ajay Henry, of Melrose Crescent, Seaham, and Tyler Leadbetter, of Elgin Avenue, Seaham, were both 17 when they were charged with murder.
The teenagers can now be named because the reporting restriction expired when they turned 18.
Ashton Anderson, who was driving the Nissan X-Trail, has pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
The trial is expected to last up to five weeks at Teesside Crown Court.