Car ram murder accused 'wanted to scare' victim

A man accused of murderously ramming a man on a petrol forecourt as part of a family feud has told jurors he only wanted to "scare" the victim away.

Daniel Ambler, 23, was declared dead at the scene after Ashton Anderson's Nissan X-Trail impaled him on a metal shelf in Seaham, County Durham, in January, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Barry Anderson, 52, and his sons Ashton, 20, and Logan, 19, deny murder. Two 18-year-olds, Tyler Leadbetter and Ajay Henry, deny the same charge.

Barry Anderson declined to give evidence, while Ashton Anderson told jurors there had been multiple incidents between his family and the victim's but he felt "terrible" about the killing and offered to admit manslaughter.

Ashton Anderson said the feud began in 2025 after the victim's brother David Ambler allegedly stole a set of car keys belonging to Barry Anderson.

On 9 August, a number of Barry Anderson's cars were set alight and the following day he was stabbed in the stomach leaving him seriously injured, the court heard.

Another man, named in court as Jed Wilson, and David Ambler were arrested over the stabbing, with Wilson eventually jailed for it, the court heard.

Ashton Anderson told jurors there was "still stuff happening" after the stabbing, with his family and their property being repeatedly attacked.

In a message to police, Barry Anderson told officers more cars had been damaged and house windows smashed on David Ambler's orders, adding "we don't feel safe", the court heard.

Ashton Anderson said he bought the X-trail for £400 the day before the killing as he felt "safer" being in a vehicle rather than walking around because of the threat posed by the Ambler family.

He said he had driven a number of vehicles in the previous years despite never having a licence, but most had been automatic while the X-Trail was a manual.

He said he was driving his girlfriend, Henry and Leadbetter to go for a meal in Seaham on 15 January when he saw Daniel Ambler and two other men walking along the street.

His barrister Imran Shafi KC asked why Ashton Anderson noticed Daniel Ambler.

He said he was "constantly on the lookout" for Daniel and David Ambler because of "what had happened in the past", and called his dad to tell him he had seen the victim.

The court has heard Barry Anderson drove to the scene from Peterlee, while Logan Anderson was also contacted and got a lift from Hartlepool.

The group met and spoke on a nearby street before Barry and Logan Anderson ran at the victim and his two friends, who were standing at a bus stop on Stockton Road, and Ashton Anderson drove at them with his other two co-accused passengers in his car, the court heard.

When asked why he drove at the group, Ashton Anderson said he wanted to "scare them away".

The group scattered, with Barry Anderson and one of the victim's friends having a fight outside the nearby Mallard pub and Logan Anderson hitting Daniel Ambler with a crowbar or hammer near the petrol station, the court heard.

Ashton Anderson drove towards the pub and smashed into the beer garden wall, then got out and punched the man his dad was brawling with three times to the face, the court heard.

He told jurors he wanted to to rough him up and try to get him to leave my dad alone".

Ashton Anderson then got back in the car and drove towards the petrol station where he claimed he heard Daniel Ambler shouting "watch what happens next" while walking on to the forecourt, the court heard.

He was travelling at up to 16mph when he drove towards the victim and struck him, the court heard, before carrying on and hitting the petrol station ship and fatally crushing Daniel Ambler against broken metal shelves.

Ashton Anderson said he had not meant to hit the victim but wanted to "scare him away" from the driver's relatives who worked at the garage.

He said he "misjudged" his speed and hit Daniel Ambler, stopped and put the handbrake on so his car would not roll back and hit a petrol pump as it could "blow up", then fled on foot.

He had seen how seriously injured Daniel Ambler was and was "shook up", the court heard.

Ashton Anderson handed himself into police three days later, the court heard, telling jurors he felt "terrible about what I had done".

Sharif asked if Ashton Anderson had meant for Daniel Amber to die or be seriously injured, to which the accused replied "no".

"How do you feel that you were responsible for killing Daniel?" Shafi asked.

"I feel terrible," Ashton Anderson replied.

Jurors heard Ashton Anderson offered to plead guilty to manslaughter and stood by that admission.

Barry Anderson declined to give evidence to the court, with his barrister confirming he had been warned jurors could draw whatever inference they wished from his refusal to take to the witness box.

The trial continues.

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