Four convicted of Coventry hit-and-run killing

Andrew Flamson died in hospital three days after the incident on Grosvenor Road

Four men have been convicted of killing a father-of-one in a hit-and-run that police said followed a row over a longstanding drugs debt.

Andrew Flamson, 40, was struck by a car on Grosvenor Road, Coventry, on 12 July last year and died in hospital from head injuries three days later.

The driver of the Mondeo involved, Ashley Donald, was found guilty of his murder at trial at Warwick Crown Court.

Three other men who were passengers in the car were convicted of manslaughter.

The car was used as a weapon of revenge, police said.

Tension had existed for months between Mr Flamson, a cannabis dealer, and one of the men over up to £400 owed for the drug, according to the prosecution.

The men went out in the car with weapons including a baseball bat and wooden pole, jurors were told.

The car was driven the wrong way up the road, with a no-entry sign, cones and bollards ignored. The car was then driven at Mr Flamson, his friend Damien Corbett, two teenagers and a dog, said detectives.

Ashley Donald, Samuel Henneberry, Callum Ayre and Carl Tomlinson (clockwise, from top left) were convicted at Warwick Crown Court

Mr Corbett suffered life-changing injuries in the incident, including a fractured skull and brain trauma, the court heard.

The two teenagers had less serious injuries while Mr Flamson's dog was dragged under the vehicle and put to sleep two days later.

CCTV footage and data from mobile phones were used to piece together the men's movements on the night in question, and the Mondeo was found after it was abandoned.

Each of the four defendants admitted they were in the car but blamed each other, said Det Insp Ranj Sangha from West Midlands Police.

They had all denied murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Donald, 24, from Birmingham, fled to Ireland two days after the fatal crash and extradition proceedings were begun but he returned to the UK and handed himself in, police said.

As well as murder, he was found guilty of a count of causing grievous bodily harm and two charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. He was acquitted of three counts of attempted murder.

Callum Ayre, 20, Samuel Henneberry, 62, and Carl Tomlinson, 52, all from Coventry, were convicted of manslaughter. They were also found guilty of criminal damage over the dog's death.

Henneberry and Tomlinson were found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault causing actual bodily harm.

All three were found not guilty of murder, three counts of attempted murder, one count of causing grievous bodily harm and two counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

A provisional sentencing date has been set for July.

A fifth man, Carlton Rollason, 27, from Coventry, was found not guilty of the charges he faced in relation.

Mr Flamson was a "kind, loving and gentle man" who would be "our spirit in the sky", his family said in a statement after the trial.