Businessman who helped best friend after he killed man in road rage attack jailed
A businessman who helped his best friend after he killed a man in a road rage attack has been put behind bars.
Killer Jake McIntyre had argued with pedestrian Andrew Peart after he walked onto a section of road near his Mitsubishi Shogun in Guidepost, Northumberland in August 2023, and then got out of his car and hit him with a metal tyre lever.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Mr Peart, 39, who had been heading to the Co-op, suffered a fractured skull and bleed on the brain and died in hospital days later. Prosecutor Richard Herrmann told the court McIntyre left his victim lying on the ground and the following morning Mark Twizell, a car dealer, helped him hide the Shogun and let him borrow a BMW.
Chilling footage released by the police shows McIntyre the confessing to the assault while driving. He says: "Do you know what's a f***ing nightmare? Is f***ing hiding from the f***ing police and having to change me f***ing car again for giving someone street justice."
McIntyre, now 30, of Stakeford Crescent, was arrested in the Lake District two days after the attack and was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter. He is now serving 14 years in prison.
Twizell, 41, of Oakville, North Seaton, Northumberland, admitted assisting an offender and was today jailed for 27 months. Judge Edward Bindloss told him: "You acted out of misguided loyalty for someone who you trusted and was your best friend."
The court heard Twizell had allowed McIntyre to use the BMW for about seven and a half hours and the Mitsubishi Shogun was hidden at a lot he had access to for about 40 hours. Leading the investigation into Andrew's death was Detective Chief Inspector Graeme Barr, of MIT.
Speaking after Twizell's sentencing, he said: "We are now more than two years on from Andrew's tragic death which was a result of nothing more than totally unnecessary violence.
"Our thoughts continue to be with Andrew's family and loved ones as all court cases concerning our investigation are concluded. I truly hope they can now begin a fresh chapter and seek some closure if they are able to."
Det Ch Inspector Barr added: "Now, after two years, both Andrew's killer and the man who assisted him in trying to cover his tracks have been imprisoned. The pair are now serving more than 16 years' combined for their choices that night and in the days afterwards.
"We know from the evidence that Twizell knew just how badly Andrew was hurt – yet he made a conscious decision to help McIntyre despite what he had done, rather than coming forward and telling police. That decision has now secured him a prison spell and demonstrates just how wide-reaching our investigations are in the pursuit of justice."
Sue Hirst, defending, handed in references to Twizell's ordinarily positive character and said he has never been in trouble before. Miss Hirst said the men had been friends for a long time and added: "He clearly trusted Mr McIntyre too much."
The court heard Twizell has family responsibilities and runs his own business. Miss Hirst added: "This was one very grave error of judgement of his part. He is not someone who will come back before the courts again."