Jury retires to decide verdicts of Lawrence Manning Snr and Jnr following Tilney All Saints feud trial
A jury has began to deliberate on the guilt of the father and son involved in a village family feud.
The final evidence in the trial of Lawrence David Manning, 50, of Seadyke Bank in Wisbech, and his son Lawrence Manning, 26, of Garden Lane, Wisbech, was delivered today (Friday).
The presiding judge then delivered his summary of the case, before the 12 jury members retired to decide on various verdicts.
Manning Snr has pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, having an offensive weapon, and dangerous driving.
Manning Jnr has pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and damaging property being reckless as to whether life is endangered, and entered a guilty plea to causing criminal damage.
The matter relates to an incident in Tilney All Saints on August 16 which involved a HGV being driven into a Glebe Estate property, a man being hospitalised with injuries and petrol bombs being thrown.
Manning Snr's defence barrister, a Mr Norris, delivered his final arguments before the jury retired.
He referred to significant "fogginess" surrounding the trial due to a number of individuals present at the incident facing violent disorder charges and yet playing no role in the case as either witnesses or suspects.
"Are you really hearing the full story in all of this?" he asked jurors.
In similar fashion to Stephen Mather, Manning Jnr's defence barrister, Mr Norris highlighted a number of inconsistencies with the testimony of Sean Manning - a witness involved in a fight with Manning Jnr who appeared last week as a witness.
"He is not telling the truth," Mr Connolly said of Sean Manning.
"But he knows the truth, you may think. That he was part of the group that was lying in wait, lying in ambush, waiting to kick off.
"You may think this makes it even more incredible that at no point has Sean Manning been considered a suspect in this violent disorder offence."
Mr Connolly also urged jurors to look at the case from a "human" point of view, and said it was difficult to judge Manning Snr's reactions at the time without being in the situation.
He concluded his arguments by quoting a famous speech from former US president Theodore Roosevelt in relation to that plea.
Mr Connolly read: "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood".
Earlier in his summary, Mr Connolly said of Manning Snr: "I tell you what he is not - he is not a man of violence. There is nothing violent in this man's past."
The barrister also argued that, in relation to his role in a fight between his son and Sean Manning on August 16, Manning Snr was being unfairly treated for opting to turn away from the scene after freeing his son.
"It seemed to be he was being criticised for not being more brutal towards him," he said.
"You are damned if you do, you are damned if you don't."
The jury's deliberations will continue on Monday morning next week.
