Ashington car dealer helped road rage killer hide vehicle

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgz34d4zw9o

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Mark Twizell admitted assisting an offender

A car dealer who hid a road rage killer's vehicle and gave him a BMW to use has been jailed for two years and three months.

Jake McIntyre ditched his Mitsubishi Shogun after fatally injuring Andrew Peart in an attack in Guide Post, Northumberland, in August 2023, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

McIntyre's friend Mark Twizell gave the killer a BMW to flee in and hid the Shogun, which was being sought by police, on a plot he had access to through his trading in vehicles, prosecutor Richard Herrmann said.

Twizell, 41, admitted an assisting offender. McIntyre, who was arrested in the Lake District, was jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of manslaughter.

Mr Peart, 39, was attacked with a metal bar, believed to be a wheel brace although the weapon has never been recovered, outside Guide Post Working Men's Club at about 22:00 BST on 22 August 2023, prosecutor Richard Herrmann said.

The trial of McIntyre had heard Mr Peart was crossing the road and was attacked after remonstrating with McIntyre for honking his horn at him.

Andrew Peart died in hospital eight days after being injured

Mr Peart suffered a catastrophic skull fracture and brain injury and died eight days later in hospital, Mr Herrmann said.

The court was told that the following morning McIntyre would have known about the seriousness of the injuries he had inflicted after getting a message from Mr Peart's partner in which she said the victim was in a "very bad way" in hospital and could die.

McIntyre and Twizell had earlier been in the gym together and hour later McIntyre parked the Shogun outside Twizell's home and took his friend's BMW, the court heard.

With Twizell having travelled to Glasgow to buy a Vauxhall Astra, another man then "secreted" the Shogun on a plot of land Twizell had access to, Mr Herrmann said.

Jake McIntyre was jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of manslaughter

The court heard Twizell sent McIntyre a message saying: "Keep your head down, [if] you need [anything] let me know."

McIntyre replied: "Just going to chill out the way today, appreciate it, love you brother."

In another message, the killer said it was "nightmare" having to hide from the police and change his car "for giving some crack head street justice".

Twizell also sent another man a message saying McIntyre had "filled some lad in", the court heard.

The man replied saying Mr Peart was in hospital with a hand on the face emoji, adding: "Police involved, tell him to keep his head down."

Twizell, of Oakville in North Seaton, Ashington, responded: "Spot on marra, appreciate the heads up."

Later on 23 August, McIntyre was driven by his girlfriend to the Lake District for a holiday which they had moved a day forward "to get out of the way", Mr Herrmann said.

The killer was arrested in the Windermere area shortly before 06:00 BST on 25 August and by 13:00 the Shogun had been moved to public land near the plot used by Twizell, the court heard.

Judge Edward Bindloss said police did not find the Shogun until the following March, some six months later, after it had been sold on and traded through several people, by which point there was no forensic evidence left.

'Impaired justice

In mitigation, Susan Hirst said Twizell and McIntyre were old friends and Twizell had not realised how serious the attack had been.

She said it was only when he found drugs in McIntyre's Shogun and saw a Facebook post detailing the severity of the attack that he felt "betrayed" by McIntyre, adding: "If he had known the true extent of what had taken place he would never have helped Mr McIntyre at all."

Judge Bindloss said Twizell hid the Shogun for about 40 hours at a time when he knew a man was in hospital and police were searching for McIntyre.

He said McIntyre had been found not guilty of murder but convicted of manslaughter, possibly in part because the weapon had not been found.

Judge Bindloss said McIntyre may well have disposed of the weapon before the Shogun came into Twizell's care, but blood from the weapon may still have been in the car and it was a "lost opportunity" for police.

By the time officers got the Shogun, forensic examination was "all but useless" and the assistance Twizell provided "may have made all the difference", the judge said.

"There was a risk here your actions impaired the interest of justice on a key issue at this murder trial," the judge told Twizell.

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