A man today (Monday) denied making threats to his ex-partner’s new boyfriend in the days before he was killed in a crash near Spalding.
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 a water-filled drain after attempting to cut up McMullon’s car on a left-hand bend further up Counter Drain Drove.
Emergency services attended and firefighters freed Burlton from the vehicle but he had stopped breathing. A post-mortem confirmed he had drowned.
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.
Jurors heard there was an ongoing dispute between McMullon and Gratton, 31, of West Parade, Spalding, over custody visits.
Giving evidence in court McMullon said he only became aware of Burlton when he received threatening messages from him in the days before the fatal collision.
Under cross-examination from defence barrister John McNally, who is representing Gratton, McMullon denied making threats to Burlton.
“I didn’t know the guy to be scared of him,” McMullon replied
McMullon was asked to explain a message which was sent from his phone on November 21, 2023 which read: “Going to pay you to cause some carnage soon.”
Mr McNally suggested to McMullon that he was asking others to threaten Burlton but he replied: “I don’t recall any of that.”
McMullon admitted that he was made the subject of a non-molestation order after splitting with Gratton at the end of their four year relationship.
But McMullon denied going to her home two days before the crash to find Burlton.
“I’ve not offered him a fight in any of my messages,” McMullon insisted.
Prosecutors allege McMullon was followed by the Focus and Insignia after leaving a contact visit centre in Spalding on the afternoon of November 24, 2023.
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 Mr Burlton.
Sam Johnson, 26, of Johnson Avenue, Spalding, was driving the Vauxhall Insignia, which was allegedly also following Mr 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.
