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Biker gang guilty of M40 murder | Biker gang guilty of M40 murder |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Two more members of a biker gang have been found guilty of murdering a Hells Angel on the M40 in Warwickshire. | Two more members of a biker gang have been found guilty of murdering a Hells Angel on the M40 in Warwickshire. |
Gerry Tobin, 35, from Mottingham, south-east London, was shot as he returned from the Bulldog Bash biker festival in August last year. | Gerry Tobin, 35, from Mottingham, south-east London, was shot as he returned from the Bulldog Bash biker festival in August last year. |
Karl Garside, 45, and Ian Cameron, 46, both of Coventry, were found guilty by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court. | Karl Garside, 45, and Ian Cameron, 46, both of Coventry, were found guilty by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court. |
Four other men have already been found guilty while a seventh pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. | Four other men have already been found guilty while a seventh pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. |
During the trial the jurors heard that Mr Tobin was targeted by the South Warwickshire chapter of The Outlaws, a rival gang to the Hells Angels, because he was a "fully patched", meaning fully-initiated, member of the Hells Angels. | During the trial the jurors heard that Mr Tobin was targeted by the South Warwickshire chapter of The Outlaws, a rival gang to the Hells Angels, because he was a "fully patched", meaning fully-initiated, member of the Hells Angels. |
Two bullets | Two bullets |
Prosecutor Timothy Raggatt said the incident was "thoroughly ruthless" but executed with great skill and planning. | Prosecutor Timothy Raggatt said the incident was "thoroughly ruthless" but executed with great skill and planning. |
Two bullets were fired at him from a Rover car which pulled up alongside him on the M40. | Two bullets were fired at him from a Rover car which pulled up alongside him on the M40. |
Karl Garside and Cameron were both cleared of possessing a shotgun. | Karl Garside and Cameron were both cleared of possessing a shotgun. |
Hells Angel Gerry Tobin was shot on the M40 last year 'Angel' targeted by rival gangVictim of a global biker feud | Hells Angel Gerry Tobin was shot on the M40 last year 'Angel' targeted by rival gangVictim of a global biker feud |
Simon Turner, 41, of Nuneaton, and Dane Garside, 42, of Coventry, were convicted of Mr Tobin's murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life on Monday. | Simon Turner, 41, of Nuneaton, and Dane Garside, 42, of Coventry, were convicted of Mr Tobin's murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life on Monday. |
Malcolm Bull, 53, of Milton Keynes, and Dean Taylor, 47, of Coventry have also been convicted of murder and a firearms offence. | Malcolm Bull, 53, of Milton Keynes, and Dean Taylor, 47, of Coventry have also been convicted of murder and a firearms offence. |
Sean Creighton, 44, of Coventry, admitted murder and firearms offences before the trial began. | Sean Creighton, 44, of Coventry, admitted murder and firearms offences before the trial began. |
Between them the seven men made up the south Warwickshire chapter of the Outlaws gang. | Between them the seven men made up the south Warwickshire chapter of the Outlaws gang. |
They will all be sentenced on Friday. | They will all be sentenced on Friday. |
The court heard two shots were fired at Mr Tobin, described in court as a law-abiding citizen, from two different guns as he rode home from the festival, held at Long Marston, near Stratford-upon-Avon. | The court heard two shots were fired at Mr Tobin, described in court as a law-abiding citizen, from two different guns as he rode home from the festival, held at Long Marston, near Stratford-upon-Avon. |
The Outlaw members went "scouting" for a victim | The Outlaw members went "scouting" for a victim |
Creighton, the South Warwickshire Outlaw's president, and Turner, the sergeant-at-arms, shot at him from the Rover car. | Creighton, the South Warwickshire Outlaw's president, and Turner, the sergeant-at-arms, shot at him from the Rover car. |
One bullet lodged in Mr Tobin's skull, killing him almost instantly. | One bullet lodged in Mr Tobin's skull, killing him almost instantly. |
Another bullet passed through a mudguard on his rear wheel. The bullet has not been found. | Another bullet passed through a mudguard on his rear wheel. The bullet has not been found. |
The killing followed three days of "scouting" by the gang members. | The killing followed three days of "scouting" by the gang members. |
'Ruthlessly planned' | 'Ruthlessly planned' |
Creighton, Turner and Dane Garside waited in a layby near junction 15 of the M40, near Warwick, before selecting the Hell's Angel for "execution". | Creighton, Turner and Dane Garside waited in a layby near junction 15 of the M40, near Warwick, before selecting the Hell's Angel for "execution". |
The court heard lorry driver Dane Garside, a father-of-seven, was at the wheel of the Rover and put the car in position. | The court heard lorry driver Dane Garside, a father-of-seven, was at the wheel of the Rover and put the car in position. |
Three more defendants, Karl Garside, Taylor and Cameron, acted as back-up, patrolling the M40 in a white Range Rover. | Three more defendants, Karl Garside, Taylor and Cameron, acted as back-up, patrolling the M40 in a white Range Rover. |
Bull, driving a Renault Laguna, was also in the area when Mr Tobin was killed. | Bull, driving a Renault Laguna, was also in the area when Mr Tobin was killed. |
This was not a random killing but the result of a cold-blooded, premeditated, almost military plan Chief crown prosecutor for Warwickshire, David Robinson Mother's tribute to killed biker | This was not a random killing but the result of a cold-blooded, premeditated, almost military plan Chief crown prosecutor for Warwickshire, David Robinson Mother's tribute to killed biker |
Mobile phone evidence proved the people in the Rover contacted the "units" in the Range Rover and the Renault telling them to "stand down" moments after the murder. | Mobile phone evidence proved the people in the Rover contacted the "units" in the Range Rover and the Renault telling them to "stand down" moments after the murder. |
All seven then returned to the Coventry area and the Rover was set alight and left on a country lane. | All seven then returned to the Coventry area and the Rover was set alight and left on a country lane. |
David Robinson, chief crown prosecutor for Warwickshire, said the killing was a "carefully and ruthlessly planned ambush". | David Robinson, chief crown prosecutor for Warwickshire, said the killing was a "carefully and ruthlessly planned ambush". |
He added Mr Tobin was not targeted for personal reasons but because he was a member of rival gang. | He added Mr Tobin was not targeted for personal reasons but because he was a member of rival gang. |
'Agonising suffering' | 'Agonising suffering' |
"This was not a random killing but the result of a cold-blooded, premeditated, almost military plan which was put into place with great precision," he said. | "This was not a random killing but the result of a cold-blooded, premeditated, almost military plan which was put into place with great precision," he said. |
The prosecution case was that even though two men fired the shots, seven men carried out his murder in a joint enterprise, each playing an important part before, during and after his death. | The prosecution case was that even though two men fired the shots, seven men carried out his murder in a joint enterprise, each playing an important part before, during and after his death. |
After the case Mr Tobin's fiancee, Rebecca Smith, said she wanted to thank her family and members of the Hells Angels who had supported and carried her through a "nightmare". | After the case Mr Tobin's fiancee, Rebecca Smith, said she wanted to thank her family and members of the Hells Angels who had supported and carried her through a "nightmare". |
"They have never failed to pick me up when I have been at my lowest," she said. | "They have never failed to pick me up when I have been at my lowest," she said. |
His mother, Maria Hutton, said: "We are absolutely heartbroken, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually in agonising suffering." | His mother, Maria Hutton, said: "We are absolutely heartbroken, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually in agonising suffering." |
Det Supt Ken Lawrence, who led the investigation, said he had not seen any evidence of remorse from any of the defendants. | Det Supt Ken Lawrence, who led the investigation, said he had not seen any evidence of remorse from any of the defendants. |
"This horrific crime was committed on a busy motorway in the summer." | "This horrific crime was committed on a busy motorway in the summer." |
"That in itself demonstrates the mindset and callousness of these individuals." | "That in itself demonstrates the mindset and callousness of these individuals." |
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His killers were in the Outlaws biker gang |