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Treeby murder was 'family against family', court heard

Jack Treeby, killed in a hit-and-run incident
Jack Treeby, killed in a hit-and-run incident

A family feud led to a father-of-five being deliberately mown down and killed by a brother, sister-in-law and two nephews, a court heard Thursday.

Jack Treeby, 43, from Rainham, died after he was crushed to death by a Range Rover in Quarry Road, Tovil, just two days after Christmas last year.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that his alleged attackers were Bill Treeby Snr, 50, his wife, Charity, 51, and their two sons, Billy Jnr, 29, and 23-year-old George, all of Queen Street, Paddock Wood.

A jury of eight women and four men heard that they were armed with a 12-bore single-barrelled shotgun and were making threats in the minutes leading up to the attack.

Jack Treeby suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, after the Range Rover drove over him.

“There was not much that wasn’t done to the rest of his body,” commented prosecutor Jonathan Higgs at the start of the nine-week trial.

Also left seriously injured with a gunshot wound to his leg was another brother, Gary Treeby. He was said to have been shot “as near to point blank range as you would want to be”, and was also hit repeatedly to the head with an object.

Jack Treeby’s son, Jack Jnr, claims he suffered minor injuries when the Range Rover also tried to run him over just before 7pm on December 27.

“This was family against family,” added Mr Higgs. “This was not driver-error. This was not trying to frighten people. This was trying to kill them.”

The jury was told they will hear substantial eye-witness accounts of the attack, as well as mobile phone evidence, and view extensive CCTV footage.

The prosecutor explained that the attackers - referred to as the “away” team - were aware of cameras in the area, and in the build-up tried unsuccessfully to lure those at number seven Quarry Road - the “home” team - away.

However, coverage was lost for 40 seconds as the CCTV operator changed tapes. When the footage started again the Range Rover could be seen going backwards and forwards outside number seven.

“It is during the course of this (the gap) that Jack Treeby was run over and crushed to death,” explained Mr Higgs. “You can see someone slumped on the pavement in front of the wheelie bins.”

After the attack the four defendants fled and set about covering their tracks. The court heard their mobile phones have never been traced and the Range Rover and a Mondeo also used by the “away” team were found burnt out.

“This was not an accident,” continued Mr Higgs. “This was well-planned and the cover-up was well-planned.”

The attack was a “team effort”, he added. “This group of four set out deliberately to kill people who were present in Quarry Road.”

Bill Treeby, Charity Treeby, Billy Treeby and George Treeby deny murdering Jack Treeby, attempting to murder Gary Treeby and Jack Treeby Jnr, causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Gary Treeby and attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm on Jack Treeby Jnr.

The trial continues.

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