A Spalding man today (Wednesday) denied being involved in a conspiracy which led to a fatal car crash.
Sean Burlton, 28, drowned after the car he was a passenger in left the road and entered a water filled ditch on Counter Drain Drove, in Tongue End, on November 24, 2023.
Prosecutors allege Burlton was in a Ford Focus that had tried to ram a VW Touran being driven by his girlfriend’s ex-partner, Richard McMullon.
Jurors at Lincoln Crown Court have heard a 999 call made by McMullon as he was allegedly pursued down Counter Drove Drain by the Focus and a Vauxhall Insignia.
The prosecution allege the Focus went into the water-filled drain after attempting to cut up McMullon’s car on a left-hand bend further up Counter Drain Drove.
Burlton’s partner, Vanessa Gratton, and Scott Biggs both deny conspiring with Burlton to cause actual bodily harm to McMullon between November 22 and 25, 2023.
Giving evidence Biggs said he bumped into Burlton and the other men from the two cars after he popped into the Waters Edge pub in Spalding on his way home from work on the afternoon of November 24.
Jurors heard the other men from the two vehicles have pleaded guilty to being involved in a conspiracy to assault McMullon.
Defence barrister Michael Cranmer-Brown asked Biggs: “Were you involved in that conspiracy?”
“No I wasn’t,” Biggs replied.
Biggs told jurors he did not know McMullon by name at that point.
“I only knew he was one of the people who had gone round to Sean’s partners’ house,” Biggs explained.
Mr Cranmer-Brown asked Biggs: “Were you angry?”
“No, I wondered why of course,” Biggs answered.
Biggs insisted he had no intention of joining any violence and said he talked Burlton out of confronting McMullon in Spalding town centre after the group moved to the Ivy Wall pub.
“I told him he was being silly and he was going to get himself into trouble,” Biggs explained. “It was in the centre of town. I was hoping to put him off.”
Jurors heard there was an ongoing dispute between McMullon and Gratton, 31, of West Parade, Spalding, over custody visits.
Prosecutors allege McMullon was followed by the Focus and Insignia after he left a contact visit centre in Spalding at around 3pm.
Biggs said he tried to persuade Burlton not to follow McMullon.
“I said ‘it’s stupid, its dangerous, it could turn out really bad.’ “
Biggs added: “At some point in the conversation he told me not to be boring.”
Biggs told jurors he still thought it was a bad idea to follow McMullon and said he used the word “nuclear” to describe the possible consequences.
The jury heard Bailey Fitzgerald, 29, of Brownlow Crescent, Pinchbeck, was driving the Focus and Max Prior, 21, of London Road, Spalding, was a passenger, along with Burlton.
Sam Johnson, 26, of Johnson Avenue, Spalding, was driving the Vauxhall Insignia, which was allegedly also following McMullon’s car.
The court heard Sam Clift, 35, of Brownlow Crescent, Pinchbeck, Josh Copnell, 22, of Rose Lane, Pinchbeck, and Biggs, 33, of Spalding Common, Spalding, were passengers in the Insignia.
The trial continues.
