Hullbridge death: Accused pair 'went on spending spree'

Timothy Smith suffered "catastrophic" injuries during the robbery in The Drive, Hullbridge

Two men spent thousands of pounds on designer clothes and iPhones after killing a man during a robbery, a court heard.

Former workmates Colin Garrod, 51, and Andrew McVicar, 35, are charged with the manslaughter of Timothy Smith, 57, who died following the incident in Hullbridge on 19 March 2017.

Mr Smith was pushed by an intruder and hit his head on a wall, suffering "catastrophic" injuries.

Both men deny the charges against them.

Mr Garrod, of Southend, and Mr McVicar, of Basildon, went to the home of Glenn Mattram in The Drive, Hullbridge, armed with an imitation gun, the court heard.

The pair, who were wearing balaclavas, accosted Mr Mattram, his partner, her daughter and Mr Smith and his wife, who were returning from the local pub, the prosecution said.

Mark Milliken-Smith QC told the jury the pair "herded" the group inside the bungalow before demanding a large quantity of cash, which was kept in a brown holdall.

Victim 'bounced'

While he was being forced into the property, Mr Smith received a "sharp shove in the back", which caused him to fall and hit his head on a low wall.

He died a day later in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Giving evidence, his wife, Lesley Pighini, told the court he had looked over his shoulder before the push.

"He would have been looking to see if the guy behind him had a gun, he would have been thinking 'what can I do to get her out of this?'," she said.

Her husband was then shoved and lost his balance falling over and "bouncing" when his head hit the wall, she told the court.

Mrs Pighini said she had known straight away her husband was "badly hurt".

The prosecution said Mr McVicar's cousin had told police the accused had admitted being part of a robbery where a man died shortly afterwards.

In the days after the robbery, Mr Garrod bought a new phone and deposited large quantities of cash into his bank account, the court heard.

Mr McVicar spent almost £3,000 on designer clothes in the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon and Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock.

The pair are charged with manslaughter, affray and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear.

The trial continues.