THE FAMILY of an off-duty ambulance worker who died after being run over in a pub car park have said they have been left 'utterly broken'.
Sheldon Flanighan, 55, died at the scene and his friend Wayne Common was seriously injured after a van was deliberately driven at them in a pub car park in Cramlington, Northumberland on April 1 this year.
At Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday, 38-year-old Toby Kelly of Wansbeck Avenue in Blyth was found him guilty of murder and attempted murder.
The court heard Mr Flanighan and Mr Common were targeted after earlier offering their assistance to a woman involved in a disturbance with Kelly inside the Bay Horse pub.
"Kelly's actions were despicable and there was absolutely no need for Sheldon to lose his life, or for Wayne to sustain the serious injuries he did," said DCI Dave Johnson of Northumbria Police.
Catastrophic injuries
Mr Flanighan and Mr Common were dining at the Bay Horse pub on April 1 this year when Kelly and a female companion, Shannon Wooden, got involved in an altercation with each other after their group was refused more alcohol.
The two men tried to come to Wooden's assistance before she, Kelly and another man, David Fairclough, were ejected from the pub.
When Mr Flanighan and Mr Common left the premises, Kelly drove his vehicle into them, causing catastrophic injuries, before leaving the scene.
Kelly will be sentenced on Wednesday (Image: Northumbria Police)Paramedics and officers attended the scene but despite their best efforts, father-of-two Mr Flanighan sadly died at the scene.
Mr Common was taken to hospital with serious injuries and has been left with long-term injuries.
Kelly was later arrested and charged with Mr Flanighan's murder and with the attempted murder of Mr Common.
Wooden and Fairclough were also arrested and charged but the case against them was later dropped and no further action taken.
'Unbearable'
Following the trial, Mr Flanighan's sister Julia wrote a special tribute to him, on behalf of the wider family.
"The impact of Sheldon's death on our family is difficult to put into words," it read.
"His sons have been deeply affected by the loss of their father. They miss him terribly and have been struggling to come to terms with his sudden absence.
"My sister and I are utterly broken. We grew up with Sheldon, our younger brother, and expected to grow old with him too.
"The thought of losing a sibling is unimaginable to so many people, but as Sheldon's sisters, his absence is a painstaking reality that we wake up to every day.
"Sheldon's parents have been suffering severe ill health since his death. It is just as unimaginable for a parent to outlive their child.
"The grief and pain have been, and will forever continue to be, unbearable for them."
'No remorse'
Mr Flanighan's sister said their grief had been compounded by the legal process and the five-week trial.
Midway the hearing, Kelly admitted killing Mr Flanighan but denied murder, instead pleading guilty to manslaughter.
However, the judge said the murder allegation would still stand and the trial would continue.
"Hearing every painful detail of his last moments has been excruciating for us to comprehend and deal with as a family," the statement added.
"However, the defendant has never shown any remorse or acknowledgment of guilt.
"He has only ever acted to preserve himself, and his partial guilty plea halfway through the trial only caused us further anguish.
Mr Flanighan's family have bene left devastated by his murder (Image: Northumbria Police)"The atrocity that was committed by this defendant is beyond any comprehension.
"The jury has now given their verdict finding him guilty of murder and attempted murder.
"In that regard, I would like to state that, even after a sentence in prison, he will eventually be released back into society.
"After serving his term, the defendant will return to his life. Sheldon will never return to his. Our family will never truly heal."
DCI Johnson added: "This pointless violence has caused so much pain and I hope that today offers a sense of closure to the families, and to the wider community, who I know have been deeply affected by this.
"I have no idea what was going through Kelly's mind when he made the decision to get in his van and use it as a weapon.
"Nothing good will ever come from a situation like that and as we've sadly seen in this case, there was nothing but tragic consequences for all involved."
Kelly is due to be sentenced on Wednesday.
