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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Emily Beament

Dad and son guilty of running over and killing former businessman in row over £40,000

A father and son have been found guilty of running over and killing a former businessman in a row over £40,000.

Bobby Ternent, 32, drove the BMW which crushed John Avers, who was held down by Gary Ternent, 59.

Mr Avers, 47, who was heard screaming in distressing CCTV footage, died at the scene in an Iceland car park in Dagenham, east London, in September 2020, the Old Bailey heard.

The court heard how the victim was run over repeatedly and suffered "catastrophic" injuries.

The victim's family wept in court as the defendants were found guilty of his murder on Friday.

Previously, prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones QC said the defendants had killed Mr Avers by "deliberately driving that BMW X6 straight at him, running him over".

He said: "With Bobby Ternent at the wheel, and Gary Ternent holding John Avers down on the ground in front of the car, John Avers was run over once, then Bobby Ternent spun the car around and ran over him again.

"Gary Ternent then ran to join his son in the car before they then ran their victim over a third time - and a fourth time.

"Only then, no doubt satisfied that they had done enough damage, they drove away, leaving John Avers dying, or more likely already dead from the catastrophic injuries they caused him."

Police and medics found Mr Avers in a large pool of blood, and he was pronounced dead at 12.22am on September 14 2020.

A post-mortem examination found he had suffered multiple injuries, including fractures to the skull, sternum, pelvis, left thigh and 22 ribs.

Afterwards, Bobby Ternent changed his clothes at home and burnt the BMW X6 which had false plates, jurors heard.

Later, father and son were later picked up on CCTV talking about what had happened in Dagenham on the evening of September 13 2020.

It was claimed Bobby Ternent said "he might be crippled", to which his father replied: "Right, we gone over him three times."

Following his arrest, Bobby Ternent claimed his long-standing friend Mr Avers had asked him to look after £40,000, then accused him of handing it back "short".

But Mr Emlyn Jones suggested Mr Avers was not a "big time villain" but had been a "very successful businessman".

Previously, he ran a sash windows carpentry company and lived in a million-pound house, jurors heard.

When his business went downhill, he sold his home, his marriage fell apart and he turned to drink and drugs, the court was told.

Mr Emlyn Jones said that on the night of his death, Mr Avers texted his ex-wife: "I'm going to get your house back."

The prosecutor suggested that whatever the truth, having a row over money and being threatened was not a defence to murder.

The defendants, of Barking, east London, had denied murder.

Following their convictions, Judge Anne Molyneux remanded them in custody and adjourned sentencing until February 10.

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