Police interviews of Lawrence Manning Snr and Jnr following Tilney All Saints incident described to jury at King's Lynn Crown Court trial
A father and son claimed they were left fighting for their lives after being confronted by a group of nearly ten people, a jury heard.
The trial of Lawrence David Manning, 49, of Seadyke Bank in Wisbech, and his son Lawrence Manning, 25, of Garden Lane, Wisbech continued yesterday (Tuesday).
It 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 has 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 has pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and damaging property being reckless as to whether life is endangered.
DC Beverly Ritter, the officer in charge of the police investigation into the incident, appeared at King's Lynn Crown Court yesterday to provide evidence.
While being shown CCTV footage from the date of the matter by crown prosecutor Simon Connolly, she was able to confirm a number of details to jury members.
They included the fact that Manning Snr had been driving a blue truck the first two times it was reversed in the direction of number 32 - the house where his ex-partner had been living at the time.
She also confirmed that Manning Jnr had been involved in a fight with Sean Manning - a family member of his father's ex-partner - and that he exited the truck during its first reversal.
During the reading of agreed facts of the case, Mr Connolly and DC Ritter read portions of police interviews conducted with both Manning Snr and Jnr following the incident.
Manning Jnr was arrested and interviewed on August 18, and told officers that his father and his ex-partner must have had an argument of sorts on that day.
In Manning Snr's interview, which took place after he handed himself into police following his son's arrest, he said he was "gutted" about the end of their relationship - and that his ex-partner may have been angry due to an incident which occurred between Manning Jnr and her own son earlier in the day of the Tilney All Saints incident.
Both father and son said there had been damage caused to cars and a caravan belonging to the former, with Manning Snr phoning his son and arranging a meet-up.
Manning Jnr said his father wanted to visit the Glebe Estate property in order to pick up a van he owned and other belongings.
He said that as they pulled into the street, their view was originally obstructed by a six-foot high fence. As they emerged from behind it, Manning Jnr told police, they were confronted by a group of between six and ten people who had weapons and were throwing petrol bombs at their truck.
He added: "I said 'dad let's get out of here, they are throwing bricks, they have petrol bombs, they are attacking us'.
"The truck is obviously on fire, we are not going to be using that."
Manning Jnr went on to say that as he tried to help his dad out of the truck, someone grabbed hold of him and caused him to land on the floor.
This led to a fight with an individual named Sean Manning, who appeared as a witness earlier in the trial. Manning Jnr said that when the pair landed on the ground, Sean Manning tried to gouge his eyes out.
Manning Jnr said someone else hit him on the back with some sort of weapon during this altercation, and that he was bitten on the shoulder by Sean Manning.
He added that he bit Sean Manning on the cheek in retaliation, and said to police: "I was fighting for my life at this point."
Manning Jnr then said that he kicked Sean Manning in the face when the pair rose from the ground.
In agreed facts of the case, jurors were told that a number of individuals involved in the incident had been issued with public order offences, namely violent disorder.
At that stage, Manning Jnr said, his mother showed up in a separate car - which he and Manning Snr entered before driving away from the scene.
He described Manning Snr's partner's family as "not very nice people", and detailed the injuries he had sustained at the scene. At the time, officers noted that his eye was particularly swollen.
In Manning Snr's police interview, he said he wished to visit Glebe Estate to ask for the keys to his van - the white vehicle parked outside number 32 at the time of the incident.
He told officers that he had opted to drive the blue truck to the scene because it was the only vehicle he had access to at that point.
He said the pair got to the Tilney All Saints address and "didn't expect to see bricks being thrown at us and men waiting for us with long bars, and petrol bombs being thrown at us".
Upon arriving at the scene, Manning Snr said he wanted to immediately leave - and so put the truck into reverse and "just floored it". He then heard a "bang" and came to a stop - and said the maximum speed the vehicle could reach while reversing was 10mph.
He claimed there were seven or eight people at the address that he could recognise. Upon getting out of the truck, Manning Snr told police he could see his son being "attacked".
Manning Snr then described the way he had picked something up from the street - not knowing who it belonged to - and officers asked if he had used it to attack Sean Manning. Manning Snr denied this.
When asked if the incident had been some form of organised fight, he responded: "No, I am 50-years-old, what would I do that for?"
He described the fight between Manning Jnr and Sean Manning as "like a brawl on the floor", and said he had to kick the latter in order for him and his son to get away from the scene.
Manning Snr denied driving the truck into the front of the Glebe Estate property, and said that when he left it was "burning in the road".
Police asked Manning Snr if he had intended to attempt to murder anyone when he arrived, which he denied.
Jurors were shown doorbell footage from another property on Glebe Estate, which showed the blue truck being driven down the street while on fire.
When questioned by Manning Jnr's defence barrister, Stephen Mather, DC Ritter said there was no suggestion that either Manning Jnr or Snr had thrown petrol bombs on the day.
Both defendants' prior police records were also described to jurors.
Manning Snr has three previous minor offences, none of which involved violence and the last of which occurred back in 2005.
Manning Jnr has no previous convictions and was described as a man of good character.
The trial continues.
