Businessman "crushed by burglary gang" on Robertsbridge farm, court told (From The Argus)

Businessman "crushed by burglary gang" on Robertsbridge farm, court told

2:26pm Tuesday 14th February 2012 in News By Emily Walker, Chief Reporter

A man was crushed to death after interrupting a gang of professional burglars as they ransacked his property on his farm in East Sussex, a court was told.

Julian Gardner, 52, was woken after intruders entered his land where he ran a car repair workshop at Bush Barn Farm, off the A21 near Robertsbridge, just after midnight on October 11 2010.

Mr Gardner, who was a member of a shooting club, picked up one of his shotguns from his converted barn on the farm before setting off "to protect his hard-earned property", jurors heard.

Prosecutor Christine Laing QC, opening the Crown's case at Lewes Crown Court, said that the decision would go on to cost him his life. Using a Jeep Cherokee bought days earlier and Mr Gardner's own Land Rover, it was likely that he was crushed between the two vehicles or one of them and a water bowser.

His injuries were so catastrophic that he stood "no chance of survival" and it must have been clear to those responsible that he was badly injured, jurors heard. Ms Laing added that it was unclear which of the six defendants charged with his manslaughter was driving the vehicles when Mr Gardner was killed but that it did not matter.

She said: "The principal events took place just after midnight on October 11, 2010 and in the following hours. The target crime was a car repair workshop at Bush Barn Farm near Robertsbridge.

"In the course of a planned, professional burglary of those premises, we say by the first six defendants, the owner, Julian Gardner, attempted to stop them and was unlawfully killed."

Ms Laing said much of the case would centre on mobile cell site analysis, showing that in the hours after Mr Gardner's death the movements of the defendants were within a limited area around Bush Barn Farm, Sandhurst and Cripps Corner where the vehicles were disposed.

Terrence Bristow, 41, of Chart Road, Great Chart, near Ashford, Kent, Marcus Bristow, 32, of Mock Lane, Great Chart, Lee Delay, 23, of Whitegate Close, Tunbridge Wells, Christopher Leek, 30, of Pear Tree Close, Cranbrook, Paul Dunn, 33, of Fryth Crescent, Cranbrook, and Oliver Payne, of Sandhurst Road, Tunbridge Wells, are all charged with manslaughter.

The six men also face charges of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. A seventh man, Terrence Dunn, 57, of Tanyards Estate, Sandhurst, Kent, is charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The trial continues.