Murderer laughs during arrest after running over paramedic outside Cramlington pub

A man who murdered an off-duty paramedic by running him over outside a Northumberland pub was captured laughing as he was arrested by police.

Toby Kelly appears to laugh on Northumbria Police bodycam footage during his initial arrest for death by dangerous driving on 1 April this year.

The 38-year-old had that evening run over and killed paramedic and father-of-two Sheldon Flanighan in the car park of the Bay Horse Inn, in Cramlington.

He also ran over Mr Flanighan's friend of four decades Wayne Common, 56, leaving him with permanent injuries.

A trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard how he had fled the scene before being pursued and eventually stopped by police.

In the police footage, Kelly appears to tell officers he was not the driver of the transit van, and that the driver, a "friend", had run off.

He is then seen to put his face to the windscreen to ask "where is he?" and goes on to mimic the officer as she speaks to colleagues.

Kelly is also heard to tell the officer he had been in the van and it had not hit anything.

Sheldon Flanighan died at the scene outside the Bay Horse Inn in Cramlington. Credit: Northumbria Police

The defendant, of Wansbeck Avenue, Blyth, was found guilty by a jury of murder and attempted murder.

He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years for murder, and 13 years and 149 days for the attempted murder of Mr Common, to be served concurrently.

Sentencing him at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday 15 November, Judge Penny Moreland said she was "unsatisfied" he had "genuine remorse".

The judge echoed the sentiments of the family, who had said in a statement last week: "The defendant has never shown any remorse or acknowledgment of guilt."

Kelly had claimed during the trial that he had only meant to "frighten" the men and had not intended to kill or seriously harm them.

Nigel Edwards, defending, said: "He is a family man himself and has four children. He is sincerely sorry for the events of that day."


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