Blyth man accused of running over ambulance worker was acting like ‘bad news’, jurors hear

The best friend of an ambulance worker who died after they were both struck down by a van in a pub car park said his group sensed the accused killer was “bad news” before the alleged attack.

Sheldon Flanighan had been socialising with Wayne Common on Saturday, April this year, at the Bay Horse Inn in Cramlington, Northumberland, when the pair were deliberately run over by Toby Kelly, it is claimed.

Prosecutors say that Kelly struck Mr Flanighan by reversing over him, before striking him again by driving forwards onto his body.

Paramedics rushed to the scene but the 55-year-old, who worked for the North East Ambulance Service, sustained skull fractures, a broken leg, multiple fracted ribs and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Common suffered life-threatening injuries but survived.

They had also been socialising with a third male, Kevin ‘Pottsy’ Patterson, who was uninjured.

Kelly, 38, of Wansbeck Avenue, Blyth, denies murder and attempted murder and is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.

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On Monday, October 16 Jurors were shown Mr Common’s interview with police which was conducted in hospital six days after Mr Flanighan’s death.

He described their 25-year friendship as close, with the pair speaking to each other on a daily basis. He said they frequently visited the Bay Horse.

When asked about his recollections of the evening, Mr Common told the officer that the pals didn’t plan on having a “big night,” but instead ate some food and had around five to six drinks each.

However, when Wayne walked past Kelly who was with two others at the bar, while on his way to vape outside, he said he sensed they were “bad news.”

Mr Common said: “I said there’s trouble here mind. They were arguing amongst themselves.

“There was one lad trying to crack the other lad out which I thought was strange.”

When asked what he meant by “crack”, Mr Common said he thought the males were trying to fight.

He added: “They didn’t give a monkeys about anyone around them bar themselves.

“They were acting like d***heads. They were just acting stupid.

“I can’t pull one thing out about what they were doing, I just knew.

“I knew they were bad news.”

When asked what his last memory was before he woke up in hospital, Mr Common said: “I haven’t got one, it’s blank.

“I’m sorry but it’s blank.”

CCTV was played to jurors earlier in the day showing Kelly arguing with the female, Shannon Wooden, which led to the pair grappling on the floor.

Jurors could see Kelly’s arms around her neck moments before Mr Flanighan and Mr Common walk over towards the pair in an apparent effort to defuse the situation.

However, matters then spilled over to the car park.

The footage then skipped to the camera at the pub’s entrance which appeared to capture front of the Transit van manoeuvring in the car park, moments before the men were struck.

Minutes later, the same van is caught on CCTV driving through Cramlington before it was pulled over by police in a housing estate.

It could be seen speeding off but was later found nearby.

Before his arrest, Kelly was also seen to be “hammering something he placed on the ground,” however, the defence dispute this claim.

When asked about his injuries, Mr Common told the officers he had bruises all over his body and had stiches put in his heel.

He said he had been told he had suffered some internal bleeding which was expected to heel.

He added: “They put me in a coma so I must have been really bad.”

The court previously heard Kelly is the only one facing charges, and that the jury must focus on him.

The trial continues.