Latest news with #AlanaArmstrong
The Independent
20 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
E-bike murder trial driver ‘was not acting like he had hit someone' after crash
A driver accused of murdering a young mother who was riding pillion on an off-road e-bike was 'not acting like he had hit someone' immediately after the incident, his passenger has told a court. Jordan Hind told jurors at Derby Crown Court that she did not hear anyone screaming or think there was anything underneath the Land Rover Discovery being driven by Keaton Muldoon. Muldoon, 23, denies using the vehicle to murder 25-year-old Alana Armstrong but has admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The defendant, of Tuckers Lane, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, further denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Ms Armstrong's boyfriend Jordan Newton-Kay, whose right leg was amputated 15cm above the knee after the crash. The court heard that Mr Newton-Kay was riding his black, orange and blue off-road bike with Ms Armstrong on the back that evening, while a friend was on another similar bike. Giving evidence from behind a curtain on Tuesday in the third week of Muldoon's trial, Miss Hind said she was the rear seat passenger at the time of the alleged murder in Batley Lane, Pleasley, Derbyshire. Answering questions from defence barrister Adrian Langdale KC, Miss Hind said she was picked up in a pub car park shortly before the fatal collision at about 8pm on November 26 last year, having arranged to buy £30 worth of drugs from Muldoon. She told the court that Muldoon had asked her for her phone and clothes in text messages in the days after the incident, before texting to say he would hand himself in. Miss Hind, who could not be seen from the public gallery or the dock, said: 'Obviously I had been dragged into something I had not done and I was scared and I wanted it to be sorted.' After accepting that she had lied to police by denying she had ever been in the Land Rover when she was arrested at her home on suspicion of murder on November 30, Miss Hind gave jurors her account of the fatal incident. Describing how the incident started shortly after Muldoon pulled into a lay-by, Miss Hind told the jury: 'I jumped out and got into the back to get (drugs from a coat pocket). 'It looked like car lights because there were two lights. I thought it was police or somebody else and obviously I was panicking, so I laid down and I hid.' Muldoon was still in the driver's seat, Miss Hind told the court, and had driven off pretty much as soon as she had started hiding. 'It was just a normal pull away.' Telling the court she had felt no bangs and had not heard the sound of anything being hit by the Land Rover, Miss Hind said: 'It felt like it was going up grass verges and skidding and things like that.' Mr Langdale asked Miss Hind about assertions she had made to police that Muldoon swore while he was at the wheel and had shouted 'move out of the way' and said he had 'only meant to hit the back' of the victims' e-bike. Asked by Mr Langdale if she could recall precisely what was said, Miss Hind responded: 'I can't be sure of exactly what (was said) but it was around that same sort of thing. 'It comes up to the same thing of him knocking somebody off a bike.' The witness maintained that she had not heard any screaming, that she 'didn't hear anything under the car' and said there had been no attempt to ram the rider of the second e-bike. After pulling over following the incident, Muldoon remained calm, was not aggressive or 'acting like he had hit someone,' the court heard. Under re-examination by prosecutor Sally Howes KC, Miss Hind said she had made an internet search for the latest police news in the wake of the incident because of the comments made by Muldoon. 'I didn't feel anything but him saying that – obviously something had happened. It was just a general wanting to know,' she told the court. The trial continues.
The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Mother who was ‘rammed' off e-bike sometimes supplied drugs, murder trial told
A young mother who died on a country road after she was allegedly chased and rammed off a bike by a 4×4 'sometimes' supplied cannabis while her boyfriend drove her around to deliver it, a murder trial has heard. Jurors at Derby Crown Court were told that 25-year-old Alana Armstrong bought the Sur-Ron off-road electric bike for her boyfriend, which is not legal for road use and is known to be a 'drug-dealing type' bike. Ms Armstrong, who had one child, could 'barely' fit on the back of the saddle and was not wearing a helmet when the Land Rover Discovery allegedly ploughed into her in Batley Lane, Pleasley, Derbyshire, just after 8pm on November 26 last year. Keaton Muldoon, 23, who the court was told was a drug dealer, denies her murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Ms Armstrong's boyfriend Jordan Newton-Kay, whose right leg was amputated 15cm above the knee after the crash. The defendant, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving before the trial, the jury was told by prosecutor Sally Howes KC. The court heard that Mr Newton-Kay was riding his black, orange and blue off-road bike with Ms Armstrong on the back that evening, while a friend was on another bike. The jury heard that the three stopped at a lay-by in Sampsons Lane, near Pleasley, where the Land Rover was parked, and no words were exchanged before the vehicle spun around and 'chased' them down the country lane. On Friday, Adrian Langdale KC, defending Muldoon, cross-examined Mr Newton-Kay, who said his girlfriend of four years 'sometimes' supplied cannabis which he drove her around to deliver. The court heard that before the fatal collision, Ms Armstrong, from Tibshelf, received a message asking if she was available for a 'drop off', but Mr Newton-Kay said he was 'unsure' if they were going to deliver cannabis that evening. Mr Newton-Kay denied that he thought the 4×4 parked in the field was a police vehicle. He also denied wearing a balaclava on the evening of the incident and told the court he had not been doing wheelies and pulling out on other drivers before the collision. Mr Newton-Kay admitted he had smoked cannabis that day, but denied that influenced his recollection of events. Mr Langdale asked the witness: 'If two people pull up on a dark lane on what appears to be drug-dealing bikes, dressed all in black with masks on – that might be scary for a young man who knows the association, do you agree?', to which Mr Newton-Kay replied: 'Yes.' Mr Langdale asked the witness, who gave evidence from behind a curtain, whether the bike is designed to carry two people, to which Mr Newton-Kay said: 'No.' The barrister continued: 'You don't have any helmets on, neither of you. You seemed to suggest to police you didn't, as a general policy, wear helmets. 'You also suggested to the police you would drive, wherever you went, at maximum speed. Forty-six miles an hour to be precise. 'You were suggesting, with no seatbelts, no helmets, no safety gear at all, no brake lights, you were travelling at that speed.' Mr Newton-Kay replied: 'Yes.' The barrister asked: 'Did you seriously think that was a safe way to travel?' to which the witness responded: 'No, but I went trail to trail. I was not on roads much.' Mr Langdale added: 'You have taken the restrictor off of it (the bike) which stops it going above the legal speed limit for that bike. When I say legal speed limit I mean the off-road limit, to make it go faster.' The jury heard that the 4×4 made five attempts to hit the bike and 'kept dropping back' before it came 'out of nowhere' and knocked the couple off the bike on the fifth try. Mr Langdale said: 'A two-tonne vehicle is making contact with you going, you say, 46 miles an hour four times and not once do you come off or lose control. 'You would be off and in a hedge is what I'm suggesting to you. Your account of there being four previous rammings… is simply not right, did not happen. 'You have no real memory of how you came off the bike. You undoubtedly came into contact with the car but it was not by him ramming you deliberately.' Mr Newton-Kay replied: 'He deliberately chased me, deliberately rammed me, and left us for dead.' The trial continues.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Alana Armstrong: Mum 'rammed' off bike 'sometimes' supplied cannabis
A young mother who died on a country road after she was "chased and rammed" off an e-bike by a 4x4, "sometimes" supplied cannabis while her boyfriend drove her around to deliver it, a murder trial has Armstrong, 25, died at the scene in Batley Lane, near Pleasley, Derbyshire, on 26 November 2024 after Keaton Muldoon made five attempts to hit the bike she was riding, the jury Armstrong's boyfriend Jordan Newton-Kay, 26, who was injured and had his leg amputated following the crash, said: "[Mr Muldoon] deliberately chased me, deliberately rammed me, and left us for dead."Mr Muldoon, 23, of Tuckers Lane, Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, denies murder. Jurors at Derby Crown Court were told Ms Armstrong bought the Sur-Ron off-road electric bike for her boyfriend, which is not legal for road use and is known to be a "drug-dealing type" jury heard Ms Armstrong, Mr Newton-Kay and a friend stopped at a lay-by in Sampsons Lane, near Pleasley, where the Land Rover was parked, and no words were exchanged before the vehicle spun around and "chased" them down the country Friday, Adrian Langdale KC, defending Mr Muldoon, cross-examined Mr Newton-Kay, who said his girlfriend of four years "sometimes" supplied cannabis which he drove her around to court heard that before the fatal collision, Ms Armstrong, from Tibshelf, received a message asking if she was available for a "drop off", but Mr Newton-Kay said he was "unsure" if they were going to deliver cannabis that evening. Mr Langdale KC also told the court Mr Newton-Kay had taken the speed restrictor off the bike to make it go Newton-Kay denied he thought the 4x4 parked in the field was a police also denied wearing a balaclava on the evening of the crash and told the court he had not been doing wheelies and pulling out on other drivers before the Newton-Kay admitted he had smoked cannabis that day, but denied that influenced his recollection of Langdale KC said: "You don't have any helmets on, neither of you. You seemed to suggest to police you didn't, as a general policy, wear helmets."You also suggested to the police you would drive, wherever you went, at maximum speed. Forty-six miles an hour to be precise."Mr Newton Kay admitted it was not a safe way to travel but said he went "trail to trail" and "was not on roads much". 'Did not happen' Mr Langdale asked how the pair did not come off the bike if they were hit four previous times."Your account of there being four previous rammings... is simply not right, did not happen," he said."You have no real memory of how you came off the bike. You undoubtedly came into contact with the car but it was not by him ramming you deliberately."Mr Newton-Kay replied: "He deliberately chased me, deliberately rammed me, and left us for dead."The defendant, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving before the trial begun.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Young mother died after being knocked off motorcycle by 4×4, murder trial told
A mother-of-one was killed when a 4×4 came 'flying at' her after her boyfriend stopped his motorbike to offer assistance to a vehicle which was parked in a field, a murder trial has heard. Derby Crown Court heard that no words were exchanged between the driver of the Land Rover Discovery, alleged to be Keaton Muldoon, and the bike riders before Alana Armstrong, 25, went 'over the whole car' and was left 'for dead'. Ms Armstrong died at the scene in Batley Lane, Pleasley, Derbyshire, after the vehicle allegedly rammed into the back of the Sur-Ron off-road, electric bike while she was riding pillion on the evening of November 26 last year, the jury heard. Muldoon, 23, denies Ms Armstrong's murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to her boyfriend Jordan Newton-Kay, whose leg was amputated 6in (15cm) above the knee after the collision. The defendant, whom the court was told was a drug dealer, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving before his trial began. A recorded police interview with Mr Newton-Kay, who had been in a relationship with Ms Armstrong for four years before her death, was played to the jury on Thursday. He told detectives that Ms Armstrong, from Tibshelf, Derbyshire, was on the back of the bike he was riding when the Land Rover Discovery 'chased' the couple and his friend, James Gilbert, who was on a separate bike, the jury heard. He told police he did not know the defendant, had never spoken to him, and did not believe Ms Armstrong knew him either. The court had been told the 4×4 was parked in a lay-by in Sampsons Lane, near Pleasley, after Muldoon, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, picked up a woman who wanted to buy drugs from him. Mr Newton-Kay told police: 'We were driving down one of the lanes, I can't remember what lane it was, and there was a 4×4 just sat on the other side of a hedge in a farmer's field. 'I can't remember who it was, but somebody said that the car was there. We had already gone past it. 'We went back to see if they needed help or if they were alright. 'It spun round … and came flying at us down the lane. It chased us out of the field and chased us down the lane. 'When the car spun round, I didn't know if it was a farmer and he didn't want us in his field. As soon as he came out the field, I knew it wasn't a farmer. 'We never actually got to speak to them, no words went from any of us to any of them. We didn't get one word in. He didn't say anything to us, she didn't, we didn't say anything to them.' Mr Newton-Kay told police Ms Armstrong hugged him 'very tight' on the back of the bike when they were allegedly pursued. The court heard him tell detectives the 4×4 attempted to hit his bike four times, and on the fifth 'he had us'. He told police: 'My wheel was on his front bumper, it was only a couple seconds at a time. It was very hard to control the bike. 'The fifth time I can just remember being under the car, the car driving off and going for my mate and as I've looked down the road, my missus is laid there. 'She's ended up flying backwards. The bonnet of the car must have hit her back. I tried to drag myself across the floor to her, that's when I realised about my leg. 'Adrenaline took over. I really didn't care about myself, I needed to get to Alana. She didn't say much, it was two words or something.' Mr Newton-Kay told police the 4×4 went over his leg, drove away and 'left us for dead, pretty much'. He added: 'James came back, I don't know how he got away. As soon as he came back he rang the ambulance and his dad. James tried to do CPR on Alana but she was already gone. 'The first time he tried to hit me, all that was going through my head was I needed to get away. 'I don't know what was going through his head. I have never met the guy, never heard of him until this.' The court heard that two minutes and 20 seconds passed between the time Mr Newton-Kay left the lay-by where the vehicle was parked and when he stopped at the site of the collision, based on the GPS data from his phone. Mr Newton-Kay told police he rode his black, orange and blue electric bike four or five times a day, and was 'comfortable' riding it, although he had smoked cannabis earlier that afternoon, which he said did not affect his ability to ride the bike. The trial continues.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Alana Armstrong: Driver 'left us for dead' after e-bike rammed
A man who was riding an e-bike allegedly driven at by a 4x4 driver told police "he left us for dead pretty much", a jury has Newton-Kay, 22, was riding the bike and his girlfriend Alana Armstrong was a passenger when they were allegedly repeatedly rammed by a Land Rover Discovery on a road in Derbyshire on 26 November last have heard Ms Armstrong, 25, was declared dead at the scene after suffering "catastrophic injuries", while Mr Newton-Kay had his leg Muldoon, 23 and of Tuckers Lane in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, denies murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The trial at Derby Crown Court heard on Thursday Mr Newton-Kay's police interview, where he described what said he was riding the e-bike, with Ms Armstrong as his passenger, while his friend James Gilbert was riding another bike. They went past a 4x4 in a field and went back to see if anyone was in it and if they were all right. Mr Newton-Kay said in the interview: "He's turned the car on and turned it around and came flying at us down the lane. "He attempted to hit us four times; the fifth time he did."I can just remember being under the car and the car flying off, and I looked down the road, and my missus said two words, not much, and she was gone. "He said Mr Gilbert came back - and "(he) tried to do CPR on Alana, but she was already gone".Mr Newton-Kay said he did not know why the vehicle had begun to chase them but thought initially it was to try and steal his bike, the court added: "He left us for dead pretty much, I don't know what was going through his head."Mr Newton-Kay said in the interview he and Ms Armstrong had been together for four years, and that he was a comfortable rider on the bike, having ridden for 13 years. He also said earlier in the day of the collision he had smoked trial continues.
