Trial of Wisbech men Lawrence David Manning and son Lawrence Manning begins following incident at Glebe Estate in Tilney All Saints
Two men reversed a truck into a house and injured a fellow man before having "fire bombs" thrown at them, a jury has heard.
Lawrence David Manning, 48, of Seadyke Bank in Wisbech, and his son Lawrence Manning, 25, of Garden Lane, Wisbech, both appeared at King's Lynn Crown Court yesterday.
The former has been charged with four offences in relation to an incident which occurred in Tilney All Saints in August, with the latter charged with two.
Reports at the time suggested a vehicle had crashed into a house and multiple people had been arguing and fighting.
Manning Snr pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, having an offensive weapon, dangerous driving and damaging property while being reckless as to whether life is endangered.
Manning Jnr pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and damaging property being reckless as to whether life is endangered.
Both are facing trial simultaneously, with proceedings getting under way yesterday after a jury of 12 people was sworn in on Monday afternoon.
Due to a proposed witness not appearing when requested, a previous charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which both faced, returned a verdict of not guilty.
Simon Connolly, representing the Crown Prosecution Service, opened the case by providing jurors of the facts of the incident, which took place at Glebe Estate on August 16.
He said Manning Snr had been in a relationship with a woman which involved them living separately but visiting each other's houses "from time to time".
A separate incident earlier on the same day led to two people related to Manning Snr's partner being injured and police being called, with Manning Jnr later telling police that his father's relationship had ended.
Manning Snr reportedly said in a police interview that some damage had been done to caravans and cars he kept at his property, and that he believed his ex-partner and her family had been involved.
He then added that he had been visiting her home in order to collect a number of other vehicles.
Mr Connolly said that from what happened later, prosecutors would argue both men were "angry" or "in a temper" when they did show up at Glebe Estate.
At around 8pm, the pair drove to the street in a blue truck - with Manning Snr driving at that stage and Manning Jnr in a passenger seat.
The majority of what followed was caught on CCTV footage, which was showed to jurors via in-court screens.
Mr Connolly said that Manning Snr, upon arriving at the street, immediately altered the position of the truck so that its rear was facing towards the home.
The house has a small front garden and garage, and a "small white van" was parked in that area at the time.
Manning Snr proceeded to reverse the truck backwards into the van, "smashing" both it and the wall of the garage.
Mr Connolly said there was "a lot of damage caused in that first part of the incident".
He added that it would be "important" for jurors to note which people were in the vicinity at the time, with four individuals visible on footage aside from Manning Snr and Jnr.
With that in mind, Mr Connolly said the crown considers the manner in which Manning Snr reversed the truck to be "extremely reckless".
Manning Snr then reversed the truck for a second time, and on this occasion directed it at the front door of the house rather than the van.
Mr Connolly said: "You can see people around that area as it is reversed back."
He added that those people were "clearly in danger".
He went on to say that as the truck was being reversed for the second time, Manning Jnr exited the vehicle and became involved in a confrontation with another man.
This led to the charge of grievous bodily harm, with the other other man reported to have sustained "very serious injuries".
Mr Connolly said both men were seen standing up at first before falling to the ground.
One more man became involved in that altercation, with Mr Connolly telling jurors: "It is important to be clear about how many people are involved at that stage."
Another group of "two or three" people who had been standing nearby at a parked red car then became involved. Mr Connolly said two women could be seen arriving in that car before running to join the "exchange" between Manning Jnr and the other man.
One of those women was then "effectively ushered away" from the incident, leaving the two men on the floor.
Mr Connolly said that at that stage, Manning Snr exited the truck, leaving it parked with its back to the house and blocking off the front door.
He is reported to have gone over to where Manning Jnr was involved in the altercation - with Mr Connolly questioning: "What was the need for him to get involved, and in particular the way he got involved at that stage?"
Mr Connolly added that, on camera, Manning Snr could be seen then making a "movement that perhaps looks like a kick to someone on the ground".
Manning Snr is then alleged to have moved away and taken an item from another man, lifting it into the air and swinging it towards the man on the ground. This resulted in the offensive weapon charge.
Jurors were told that this resulted in "serious injuries" to the man's lower leg, with the item cutting through to his bone and leaving an open wound. He also received cuts to his face.
Mr Connolly said the crown is of the opinion that this constituted a "joint attack, started by son but joined in by his father, which resulted in numerous serious injuries".
Both Manning Snr and Jnr were then said to have left the man "bleeding on the ground". He did then manage to "limp away" to a neighbour's house, and played no further part in the incident.
Manning Jnr then entered the driving seat of the truck and, in a manner which Mr Connolly said mimicked his father, drove it out onto the road before reversing it back into the house once more.
Following this third reversal, a series of "fire bombs" were thrown from the house in the direction of the truck.
The second one "certainly takes", Mr Connolly said, with video footage appearing to show a small explosion.
He added: "Is somebody having to defend themselves because they were under attack, or was this the Mannings' defence - or were they the attackers?"
He went on to say that it was important for jurors to note that nothing was thrown at the truck when it first arrived at the scene.
The prosecution continued its opening by saying that as Manning Jnr made to leave, Manning Snr "set about smashing windows" of another vehicle parked at the property.
While this took place, a "fight" between two women at the scene was also occurring.
Manning Snr and Jnr then left the scene in a car, with the truck "abandoned" at the house. Somebody from the house then got into the truck and drove it away from the property.
After describing the facts of the incident, Mr Connolly then played the CCTV footage for jurors, replaying and highlighting certain aspects of it.
In a later police interview following the matter on August 16, Manning Jnr said his father had phoned to inform him of his break-up.
He claimed that when they first arrived at the scene, they were confronted by a group of people with fire bombs and "jumped into action" to get his father away from "burning flames".
Manning Jnr also said he was being assaulted and had been bitten on the shoulder, and put that down as a reason for becoming involved in the confrontation.
He told police he had been "fighting for his life" and managed to get away.
Manning Snr told officers he had found damage done to a number of vehicles belonging to him, and also said that upon arriving at the Glebe Estate address to discuss it he had been confronted.
He said he and his son were met by people "throwing bricks", according to Mr Connolly, and that he tried to turn his vehicle around before accidentally reversing into the house.
The providing of evidence is set to begin this morning (Wednesday). The trial continues.
