Following a three-week trial at the Central Criminal Court, the defendant was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter and robbery. For the manslaughter offence he was sentenced to an extended sentence of 18 years imprisonment, made up of a custodial period of 13 years imprisonment, and an extended licence period of five years. He was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment, to run concurrently, for the robbery.
The defendant, Errol Woodger, 38, broke into a block of flats in Erith, south-east London, early on 29 December 2019 and took the keys to a specially-adapted motor vehicle which belonged to the resident, Marc Allen. As the vehicle was driven off, the 50-year-old Marc Allen tried to stop it, by standing in the middle of the road with his hands up saying “that’s my car”. Seconds later, he was hit by the car causing him a severe head injury from which he died a month later, having never regained consciousness.
Anthony Orchard KC was instructed by CPS Homicide for the Crown.
