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06/10/2008
Biker Killing 'A Thoroughly Cold-Blooded Business'
A biker returning home from a Hell's Angel festival was shot dead not because of who he was but because of what he was, a court has heard.
Gerry Tobin, 35, a mechanic from Mottingham, south-east London, died on August 12 last year, after being hit by a bullet fired from a moving car as it sped along a motorway at up to 90mph.
Prosecutor Timothy Raggatt QC said the killing was "a thoroughly cold-blooded business" calculated down to the finest detail.
Six men deny murder and firearms charges. A seventh has admitted murder.
Mr Raggatt said: "The incident was a thoroughly ruthless one executed with great skill and precision, great timing... and was the product of a great deal of planning.
"It was a thoroughly carefully aimed shot delivered by someone in a vehicle."
Mr Tobin, who was returning from the Bulldog Bash near Stratford-upon-Avon, died instantly from a gunshot to the head.
Addressing the motive for the crime, Mr Raggatt said: "This wasn't a case of a man being killed for any personal motive or any personal reason.
"This was a man who was targeted not because of who he was, but because of what he was. In one sense, Gerry Tobin was a random victim."
Karl Garside, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder during a previous hearing in February. Simon Turner, 41, Dane Garside, 42, Malcolm Bull, 53, Dean Taylor, 47, and 46-year-old Ian Cameron entered their not guilty pleas last December.
Full addresses of the defendants, who are from Coventry, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes, cannot be published for legal reasons.
The trial continues.
(GK/JM)
Gerry Tobin, 35, a mechanic from Mottingham, south-east London, died on August 12 last year, after being hit by a bullet fired from a moving car as it sped along a motorway at up to 90mph.
Prosecutor Timothy Raggatt QC said the killing was "a thoroughly cold-blooded business" calculated down to the finest detail.
Six men deny murder and firearms charges. A seventh has admitted murder.
Mr Raggatt said: "The incident was a thoroughly ruthless one executed with great skill and precision, great timing... and was the product of a great deal of planning.
"It was a thoroughly carefully aimed shot delivered by someone in a vehicle."
Mr Tobin, who was returning from the Bulldog Bash near Stratford-upon-Avon, died instantly from a gunshot to the head.
Addressing the motive for the crime, Mr Raggatt said: "This wasn't a case of a man being killed for any personal motive or any personal reason.
"This was a man who was targeted not because of who he was, but because of what he was. In one sense, Gerry Tobin was a random victim."
Karl Garside, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder during a previous hearing in February. Simon Turner, 41, Dane Garside, 42, Malcolm Bull, 53, Dean Taylor, 47, and 46-year-old Ian Cameron entered their not guilty pleas last December.
Full addresses of the defendants, who are from Coventry, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes, cannot be published for legal reasons.
The trial continues.
(GK/JM)
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A man who stabbed a student to death on a train has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Thomas Lee Wood, 22, from Skelmersdale in Lancashire admitted killing first-year student Thomas Grant, 19, from Glouestershire who had been attending St Andrews University.
Man pleads guilty to stabbing student
A man who stabbed a student to death on a train has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Thomas Lee Wood, 22, from Skelmersdale in Lancashire admitted killing first-year student Thomas Grant, 19, from Glouestershire who had been attending St Andrews University.
01 September 2008
Bin Bag Body Man Pleads 'Not Guilty'
The man accused of killing and then bisecting a young girl's body before wrapping her in bin bags, hiding the knives he had used and then "concealing transporting and burying" her body parts, has appeared in court accused of murdering schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton.
Bin Bag Body Man Pleads 'Not Guilty'
The man accused of killing and then bisecting a young girl's body before wrapping her in bin bags, hiding the knives he had used and then "concealing transporting and burying" her body parts, has appeared in court accused of murdering schoolgirl Vicky Hamilton.
05 October 2009
Paddington Memorial 10 Years On
Survivors and bereaved relatives stood together in silence this morning to mark the 10th anniversary of the Paddington rail crash. They gathered at the crash memorial in Ladbroke Grove, west London, alongside Transport Secretary Lord Adonis with leading figures from the rail industry and the emergency services. The ceremony began at 08.
Paddington Memorial 10 Years On
Survivors and bereaved relatives stood together in silence this morning to mark the 10th anniversary of the Paddington rail crash. They gathered at the crash memorial in Ladbroke Grove, west London, alongside Transport Secretary Lord Adonis with leading figures from the rail industry and the emergency services. The ceremony began at 08.
29 July 2010
Tobin Questioned Over Sex Crime
Convicted serial killer Peter Tobin has been questioned by police in Edinburgh in connection with serious sexual crimes in Scotland, it has emerged.
Tobin Questioned Over Sex Crime
Convicted serial killer Peter Tobin has been questioned by police in Edinburgh in connection with serious sexual crimes in Scotland, it has emerged.
27 July 2006
Civil trial granted over police shooting
The family of a man who was shot dead while naked and unarmed in his flat will be allowed to put the force on trial for unlawful killing.
Civil trial granted over police shooting
The family of a man who was shot dead while naked and unarmed in his flat will be allowed to put the force on trial for unlawful killing.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A showery start with outbreaks most frequent north of Lough Neagh and through the morning, before dwindling during the afternoon as the northwest breezes ease and brighter spells of weak sunshine prosper. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
