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| Men guilty of parking row death | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Two brothers have been found guilty of manslaughter after a row over a parking space spiralled into a revenge attack. | |
| Bernard Gilbert, 79, died minutes after a brick was thrown into his home in Spondon, Derby, on 28 January 2007, Nottingham Crown Court was told. | |
| Mark Forbes, 40, of Kedleston Close, Ripley, and his younger brother Steven, 22, of Gladstone Street, South Normanton, had denied manslaughter. | Mark Forbes, 40, of Kedleston Close, Ripley, and his younger brother Steven, 22, of Gladstone Street, South Normanton, had denied manslaughter. |
| The jury heard Mr Gilbert had argued with Mark Forbes' wife days earlier. | |
| The two men were remanded in custody until sentencing, which is expected to take place in April. | The two men were remanded in custody until sentencing, which is expected to take place in April. |
| Death texts | |
| The trial heard that Mr Gilbert had been involved in a dispute over a parking space at Asda with Zoe Forbes, 26, four days before his death. | |
| The court heard how Mark Forbes then plotted a revenge attack and traced Mr Gilbert's address through a then-serving police officer. | The court heard how Mark Forbes then plotted a revenge attack and traced Mr Gilbert's address through a then-serving police officer. |
| The officer, Stephen Smith, has since resigned and was fined £1,200 under the Data Protection Act. | |
| Mrs Forbes was also charged with manslaughter but the charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence on Monday. She admitted conspiracy to damage property. | Mrs Forbes was also charged with manslaughter but the charge was dismissed due to a lack of evidence on Monday. She admitted conspiracy to damage property. |
| The court heard Mr Gilbert had health problems including diabetes and high blood pressure and had a limited life expectancy. | The court heard Mr Gilbert had health problems including diabetes and high blood pressure and had a limited life expectancy. |
| 'Cowardly act' | |
| Giving evidence, Dr Michael Miller Craig, from the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, said it was "highly likely" that his fatal heart attack was caused by the stress after the brick attack, which he added was of "extreme relevance". | Giving evidence, Dr Michael Miller Craig, from the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, said it was "highly likely" that his fatal heart attack was caused by the stress after the brick attack, which he added was of "extreme relevance". |
| Mr Forbes told the court he had no intention of causing harm to Mr Gilbert and that text messages sent to his wife talking about the pensioner's death were "bravado". | Mr Forbes told the court he had no intention of causing harm to Mr Gilbert and that text messages sent to his wife talking about the pensioner's death were "bravado". |
| In a statement, Mr Gilbert's family, spoke of their loss. | |
| "We are left in no doubt that our father's death was due entirely to shock brought on very shortly after the criminal acts which took place at his home. | |
| "We're sure the general public agree that to throw a brick through an elderly couple's window is not only unnecessary and completely irresponsible but a cowardly act carried out by people who should know better. | |
| "Bernard was a kind, caring and much-loved husband, father, grandfather and friend, and his death has been devastating." |