Fashion Entrepreneur Ran Over Pedestrian While Fleeing Gunman, Court Hears
A jury has been told a fashion entrepreneur struck and killed a pedestrian with his Mercedes while allegedly trying to escape a man who threatened him with a firearm outside a courthouse.
A fashion entrepreneur mowed down a pedestrian outside a court after a man allegedly pointed a gun at him, the Old Bailey heard.
Shakaine Dwyer, 29, was driving to court for a motoring offences hearing when he mounted the pavement in his £60,000 Mercedes and hit Ruben Nunes, 34, at 54 mph. Mr. Nunes suffered what prosecutors described as "catastrophic injuries" outside Willesden Magistrates' Court on December 3 of last year and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dwyer, the co-founder of Jugg Clothing, denies murder. Gregory Ejiofor, 31, denies possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence to Dwyer.
Mukul Chawla, KC, prosecuting, told jurors that the death of Mr. Nunes was "utterly needless." He stated that moments before the collision, Dwyer had been "G checked" by Ejiofor, who approached him to inquire if he was a member of a rival gang. The prosecutor said that witnesses saw Ejiofor reach into his waistband area and handle a black, metallic object, which the prosecution alleges was a firearm.
Dwyer's car then sped away. CCTV footage showed the Mercedes-Benz E200 AMG Line reaching a dead end as Ejiofor continued the pursuit on foot. Dwyer "collided with a fence" when he attempted to turn his car around. Driving at up to 54 mph on the narrow cul-de-sac, Dwyer mounted the pavement just as Mr. Nunes was walking back to his car. The prosecution argued that at such speed, a crash was "utterly predictable and inevitable."
Telematics from the Mercedes indicate that while Dwyer had braked slightly before the collision, he "floored the accelerator" immediately after and as he approached the pedestrian, with no concerted braking applied to stop the vehicle.
The impact threw Mr. Nunes into the air, and he was struck again by the Mercedes as it crashed into a parked car on the other side of the road. Mr. Nunes landed on the opposite pavement and was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
Prosecutors stated that almost immediately after the incident, Dwyer arranged for a one-way flight to Dubai, which he did not take. He later contacted the police through his solicitor and surrendered the following day.
Dwyer, who was reportedly wearing valuable jewelry and carrying approximately £2,000 of clothing stock due to a promotional engagement, denies murder and the lesser alternative charge of causing death by dangerous driving. In his statement, Dwyer denied involvement in gangs and claimed that after parking, a man approached his car and asked, "Are you that Jugg guy?" before moving towards his waistband. Fearing robbery or harm, Dwyer stated he drove off in a panic, later becoming aware of a "grey car obstructing the road with two men standing near that car."
He claimed he attempted to brake and slow down to avoid a collision but was unsuccessful. Dwyer stated the collision was not deliberate and he had no intention to harm anyone, describing it as a "sudden, unexpected event" while attempting to escape a perceived threat. He also claimed he had never met Ejiofor before and knew Mr. Nunes by the nickname "Switch."
In a tribute shared after his death, Mr. Nunes's loved ones described him as "a family man - a son, a brother, an uncle, a father and a partner," who "brightened the lives of everyone he touched" and was "deeply loved by all who knew him."
Ejiofor, of Milton Keynes, denies possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The trial is ongoing.