A callous murderer who deliberately drove his car at a cyclist and ‘ran him down’ in a vigilante revenge attack will spend a minimum of 20 years in prison after being jailed for life.
Reece Braithwaite, 35, was mortally injured in the incident and died four days later having suffered ‘massive and unsurvivable’ brain injuries.
Detail of the incident
Police were called to reports that a man had been hit by a silver Vauxhall Crossland car in Carnforth Crescent, Grimsby, at about 5.20pm on May 21. The car had left the scene.
The driver, Liam Boydell, 23, of Grimsby, admitted murder at a very early stage in the proceedings at Hull Crown Court.
He will not be considered by the Parole Board for release until he has served a minimum of 20 years behind bars, less the 192 days that he has spent in custody on remand.
He left a laughing emoji
During the trial, the court heard Boydell had left a laughing emoji onto a tribute page on Facebook to his victim.
The court was also told Boydell targeted Mr Braithwaite as a result of unsubstantiated rumours about the victim.
Boydell, wearing a grey sweatshirt with a white motif and black, green-edged stripes down the sleeves, looked upset and waved to supporters in the public gallery as he left the dock to be taken down to the cells.
There were shouts of ‘Stay strong. Love you, brother’ from the public gallery.’
Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said that Mr Braithwaite was riding a bicycle in the Carnforth Crescent area on May 21 and had stopped and was sitting astride it on a footpath close to the the mouth of the junction with Chelmsford Avenue.
He deliberately drove back
Boydell had a passenger with him in the Vauxhall Crossland as they drove past Mr Braithwaite. After seeing the cyclist, Boydell deliberately drove back to make a second pass of him.
‘This time, he steered his vehicle deliberately onto the pavement so that all four tyres were on the pavement and he was travelling at not less than 24mph and potentially as fast as 29mph,’ said Mr Wright.
‘Without slowing in any way, he drove straight through the deceased, who was still sitting astride his bicycle. The massive impact propelled Reece onto the bonnet and the windscreen of the car and then into the road.’
Boydell drove away at speed and made no attempt to stop or give any assistance. He later accepted that he intended to cause harm.
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Despite the best efforts of paramedics and surgeons, Mr Braithwaite suffered ‘massive and unsurvivable’ brain injuries and he died on May 24.
Boydell had deliberately targeted Mr Braithwaite as a result of completely unfounded rumours that had been put about by an associate of Boydell.
Car as a weapon
It was a ‘deliberate act of revenge’ and he used the car as a weapon, having made a deliberate decision to return in the car for a second time.
‘The killing of Reece was a deliberate act of targeted vigilantism,’ said Mr Wright.
Boydell had shown a determination to inflict really serious injuries. He was arrested from his mother’s home on May 25.
While Mr Braithwaite was critically ill in hospital, Boydell posted a laughing emoji on Facebook in response to a post from Mr Braithwaite’s partner.
He made no comment to police questions during interview.
