Man who killed dad-of-two by deliberately driving 4x4 at him outside Blackburn pub on Christmas Day jailed
A man who deliberately drove a 4x4 into a man outside a Blackburn pub on Christmas Day has been jailed.
James Ward drove a Toyota Landcruiser into Kirk Marsden before reversing back over him outside The Gate Street Bar and Grill on Moorgate Street.
Ward, 27, was convicted of manslaughter following a two-week trial at Preston Crown Court in November and was sentenced at the same court on Friday (March 6).
The court heard that shortly after 4.30pm on Christmas Day 2024, an altercation took place inside the pub involving a group which included Ward.
During the incident, one of Ward’s associates suffered an injury to his lip and tooth.
Ward and the group then left the pub and got into a Toyota Landcruiser parked outside on Moorgate Street.
When Mr Marsden came out of the pub shortly afterwards, the Landcruiser was deliberately driven at him, but he managed to jump out of the way.
Ward then got into the driver’s seat and deliberately drove the vehicle into Mr Marsden before reversing back over him.
Ward briefly stopped to allow one of his associates to get back into the vehicle before driving to a nearby car park on Brindle Street.
He and the associate then got into another 4x4 and returned to Moorgate Street, where the vehicle stopped alongside Mr Marsden for several seconds before leaving.
Mr Marsden, 37, suffered catastrophic internal injuries and died in hospital on Boxing Day.
Ward, formerly of New Wellington Street in Blackburn but now of no fixed address, handed himself in at Greenbank Police Station on December 28.
He answered “no comment” to all questions during police interview.
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He was later charged following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.
Alongside manslaughter, Ward was also convicted of causing death while driving without insurance.
Sentencing him on Thursday, Judge Graham Knowles KC also disqualified Ward from driving for 11 years and 11 months. He must take an extended re-test before driving again.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Marsden’s mother Evelyn described the devastation caused by the loss of her youngest son.
She said: “I never imagined I would be standing here today, writing this. In just 14 months, I’ve lost both my husband and now my youngest, Kirk, who was tragically taken from us.
“The pain is beyond words. I’m broken. My heart is shattered.
She added: “Kirk was more than just my son, he was my baby boy, the youngest of my children.
“He used to call me every single day and would visit nearly every other day. The bond we had was unbreakable.
“He was a devoted father. He lived for his children and loved them so deeply. My heart aches for my grandchildren, who will now grow up without their dad.”
Mr Marsden’s partner Leanne said the family had been left “broken” by his death.
She said: “Our whole lives have been destroyed, we are broken and struggling to cope with day to day living, we have lost our rock, our hero, all we have left are memories.”
“Christmas will never be the same again, we won’t be able to celebrate like we did; we will always have a constant reminder of how senseless it was in how Kirk was taken from us.”
Detective Chief Inspector Bryony Midgley, of Lancashire Police’s Force Major Investigation Team, said: “James Ward killed Kirk Marsden in a senseless act of violence that has no place on the streets of Lancashire.
“While no sentence can ever make up for a life that has been taken, I hope Kirk’s family take some solace knowing that the man responsible for the death of their loved one is being held accountable for his actions through this significant sentence.”