Family dispute ended in Tesco attack - murder trial

Wayne Ambridge died in hospital five days after being punched and kicked in a supermarket car park in the Hertfordshire town

A dispute between two families about a young couple's relationship resulted in a fatal attack on a 50-year-old amputee in a Tesco car park, a murder trial has heard.

Wayne Ambridge died in hospital five days after an altercation at the supermarket in Hertford on 4 November last year.

He had been in a car with his son Reece Ambridge and Reece's girlfriend Abi Penn when a confrontation occurred, which the prosecution has been outlining.

Abi's brother Charlie Penn, 21, their mother Karen Lynn, 42, and her partner Stuart Smith, 43, who live in neighbouring Ware, deny murder.

Opening the prosecution case at St Albans Crown Court, Christopher Tehrani KC said Reece, who was 20 at the time of the attack, had been dating Abi, then 17, but her family did not approve of the relationship.

Ms Penn was estranged from her relatives and was spending a lot of time at the Ambridge family home, the jury heard.

"Those tensions boiled over into unlawful violence," said Mr Tehrani.

On the day of the incident, the couple were being driven back from a firework display by Mr Ambridge.

The prosecution said Ms Penn's brother was sitting in his car on his family's driveway in Cromwell Road in Ware and saw the other car go past.

Mr Penn, who was with his girlfriend Lilly-Ann Reed, then decided to follow the vehicle because "it was driving too slowly past their house", the prosecution allege.

The trial heard that Karen Lynn had driven to the Tesco (pictured more recently), following a phone conversation with her son

While he was driving, Mr Penn rang his mother Ms Lynn and, on a dashcam recording played in court, was heard to ask her whether he should follow the car.

She replied "they’re testing you" and "do you want me to come too?".

The dashcam recorded her son saying "I’m gonna run him over if he gets out", to which Ms Lynn replied "that’ll damage your car".

The jury was also shown Tesco's CCTV footage of the young couple getting out of Wayne Ambridge's car and going over to Mr Penn's car and an argument breaking out.

Mr Smith arrived at Tesco on foot, followed by Ms Lynn in a car, which came up close behind Reece and struck him, leaving him on the bonnet, the court heard.

'Just stupid'

The prosecution said Mr Smith attacked Reece and they were separated by a Tesco manager.

Mr Ambridge, who was disabled due to a leg amputation, had been near his car and grabbed Ms Lynn's legs as she walked past and brought her to the ground.

The prosecution said it was now about 20:15 GMT and Ms Lynn and Mr Smith then started kicking and punching Mr Ambridge in the head and torso.

Reece was prevented from going to his father's aid by Mr Penn, the court heard.

When Hertfordshire Police arrived to find the injured man, he was advised to go to hospital, and doctors at the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, Essex, found a bleed on his brain.

He died on 9 November, having been transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Prosecutors said that in a police interview before he died, Wayne Ambridge told officers he had driven into Tesco because he was being followed.

When asked why the confrontation had taken place he said he got out of his car "to try and protect my son. I pushed a woman on to the floor. It's stupid, just stupid".

As well as the murder charges, the three defendants were asked to enter a plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Mr Smith has admitted that offence, but the other two deny manslaughter.

The trial continues.