Landscape gardener Alex Rose (30) was sentenced to life with a minimum of 34 years for deliberately driving his pickup truck into two e-bike riders he had mistaken for burglars. His passenger Charles Pardoe (25) received a 29-year minimum term at Guildford Crown Court.
Rose drove into William Birchard (21) and Darren George (22) on a motorway slip road in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, in the early hours of July 22 last year. The collision followed a 60mph chase after Rose suspected the pair were trying to burgle his home in Manor Gardens, Sunbury.
Rose remained on the phone to his girlfriend Tara Knaggs (25) throughout the pursuit. Jurors found Rose and Pardoe guilty of two counts of murder by majority verdict.
Court verdicts and sentences
Knaggs, who was found guilty of assisting an offender, was jailed for three years. A fourth defendant, Samuel Aspden (25), another of Rose's friends who had driven around the area that evening, was cleared of both murder charges.
The trial heard that neither Birchard nor George were "anywhere near" Rose's home when he first suspected burglars. The pair had actually been on their way to a pub in Ashford that evening.
Fatal collision details
After around 12:50am, the victims drove their e-bike the wrong way round a roundabout and down the M3/A316 slip road attempting to escape Rose and Pardoe. Rose followed in his vehicle before driving into the back of the e-bike.
Rose then made a three-point turn and drove past the men lying on the tarmac. They were later found in the road by a lorry driver.
Birchard died at the scene from head injuries, fractures to his face and skull, and severe brain injury. George died later the same day in hospital.
Family impact statements
Birchard's father said in a statement: "William was not just a victim of a senseless crime, he was our beloved son, a brother, and a friend to many. His life was filled with promise, and his loss has left a gap that will never be filled."
He added: "William had a kind heart, a bright smile, and a love for life that touched everyone who knew him. We will remember him for his laughter, his loyalty, and the joy he brought into our lives."
The father described the court proceedings as an "incredibly painful journey" for the family. "Sitting through the trial and hearing the details of how William's life was taken has been almost unbearable," he said.
Mother's tribute to son
George's mother described the devastating impact on their family: "Darren was always coming and going, he couldn't sit still. He would arrive at home with friends, repair cars with his dad, then he would then be off, and then he would be back again."
She continued: "The coming and goings have stopped. The repairs of the cars have stopped. The buzz of a busy home has stopped." When her husband read her court statement, he simply uttered: "I loved that boy."
The mother also praised the support from emergency services and strangers: "It is those who have shown kindness even though they do not know us who have helped support us from afar - the lorry driver that stopped, the paramedics, and the air ambulance crew."
Rose and Knaggs were arrested at Birmingham Airport on the afternoon of July 22 last year. Aspden and Pardoe were arrested two days later.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
