A man was fatally struck by his own car after confronting a burglar outside his home in Erith, a court has heard.
Marc Allen, 50, who used a prosthetic leg, died from severe head injuries after being run over by his Mercedes in the early hours of December 29, 2019. He had tried to stop a thief from stealing the vehicle outside his flat on Peareswood Road, jurors at the Old Bailey were told on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Anthony Orchard KC said the car was used “as a weapon” to run Mr Allen down in the street, leaving him unconscious with a serious head injury. He died a month later, never having regained consciousness.
Errol Woodger, 38, of Belvedere, is on trial for murder and robbery. He denies both charges.
The court heard that Mr Allen, who had lost part of his right leg due to a previous illness, lived alone in a ground-floor flat and relied on a Motability-supplied grey Mercedes GLA, which was parked on his forecourt.
CCTV captured a man outside the flat just before the incident, climbing a low wall and accessing a neighbouring, unoccupied property through a window. Minutes later, the Mercedes was stolen.
Mr Orchard told the court: “You can be sure he [Mr Allen] wouldn’t have handed [the keys] over voluntarily.”
Neighbour Linda Rumsey told police she heard a man shouting “That’s my car. You aren’t taking my car,” and saw Mr Allen behind the vehicle as it revved its engine. The car reversed quickly, possibly striking him with a “glancing blow,” before he stood in the road with his hands raised, shouting “That’s my car.”
The vehicle then surged forward “at speed,” knocking Mr Allen onto the bonnet, over the roof, and onto the road.
Ms Rumsey said: “He slid down the back of the boot and his head went bang when it hit the floor. I heard his head crack – it sent a shiver through me.”
Mr Allen’s injuries were catastrophic. He was rushed to King’s College Hospital and placed on life support, but died on January 29, 2020.
Evidence presented to jurors included a neighbour’s account of the victim being found with head wounds and a “golf ball size” bump. His prosthetic leg was still wearing a trainer, but his other leg was bare—suggesting he had rushed out in haste.
The Mercedes was discovered two days later, abandoned on a driveway on the Isle of Dogs in east London.
Woodger was arrested five months after the incident. He initially denied any involvement, claiming he had been attacked by a group of men in Greenwich the same day and was hospitalised. However, police confirmed that assault occurred around 12 hours after Mr Allen’s death.
Prosecutor Orchard suggested the attack on Woodger was not random but possibly linked to the robbery.
New forensic evidence reportedly tied Woodger to the stolen car, including his fingerprints on a plastic box and water bottle found inside, and DNA on a cigarette.
The trial at the Old Bailey continues.
