Ashley Donald: Man who fled to Ireland after killing dad and dog found guilty of murder

Ashley Donald left the country two days after the collision that killed Andrew Flamson and left several others seriously injured in July of last year but returned in September and handed himself in to Coventry Police Station.

A court heard that Flamson had been walking his dog on Grosvenor Road in Coventry with family members and friends on July 12, when he was deliberately targeted.

Shortly before they took the walk, the group had been involved in a row with another group of men about a longstanding debt.

A silver Ford Mondeo driven by Donald drove the wrong way up the road, past a ‘no entry’ sign and bollards, before hitting two men and two teenagers.

The other man, aged in his forties, suffered a life-changing traumatic head injury, while the pair of teens received less serious injuries.

Mr Flamson, from Coventry, was taken to hospital with head injuries and died three days later.

His dog had to be put down shortly afterwards.

The Mondeo, which drove away from the scene with a shattered windscreen and broken wing mirror, was later found abandoned about half a mile away.

A number of weapons were found inside the car, including a wooden pole and a baseball bat.

Donald (24) was behind the wheel, and the passengers included his 59-year-old dad Samuel Henneberry.

All the men denied the murder of Andrew Flamson and the three counts of attempted murder, as well as a charge of criminal damage involving the death of a dog.

In court, Donald argued that 52-year-old Carl Tomlinson had grabbed his arm and caused him to hit the Flamson group.

But he was found guilty of murder at Leamington Justice Centre.

Henneberry, Tomlinson, and Callum Ayre (19) were also convicted of manslaughter.

A fifth man who was also on trial was found not guilty on all counts.

Mr Flamson’s family paid tribute to the 40-year-old victim, saying: “We will miss our Andrew forever. He was a kind, loving and gentle man.

“He was loved by his family, his partner and lots of friends. We prayed for justice for our lost boy.”

They added: “Andrew is now our spirit in the sky, dancing with the angels, and he will probably be teaching them his dance moves.”

Detective Inspector Ranj Sangha, from the West Midlands Police homicide team, said: “This was a truly awful incident – with a car being used as a weapon in revenge for an argument over owed money.

“The intention was at the very least to cause really serious harm and it has left families devastated by what happened – one grieving the loss of a father and uncle, and another coming to terms with their loved one suffering really serious life-changing injuries.

“We can only hope that these verdicts bring some sense of peace for them. Although each of the men admitted they were in the car they blamed each other, with the driver claiming his arm was grabbed by Carl Tomlinson which caused the car to hit the Flamson group.

“With the verdicts delivered by the jury it is clear they dismissed this account. All these men went out with weapons to find the group they had argued with earlier and they are jointly responsible for the fatal events that unfolded.”