A jury has been sworn in at the start of the trial of a man accused of driving at and killing an off-duty ambulance worker in a North East pub car park earlier this year.

Sheldon Flanighan died from injuries sustained when he and another man standing alongside him were allegedly hit by a van reversing and then driving from the car park of the Bay Horse, at Cramlington, Northumberland.

The death of the 55-year-old father-of-two sons was confirmed at the scene from where the other casualty was taken to hospital, shortly after 10pm on Saturday April 1.

Three people were subsequently arrested amid police inquiries into the incident.

Read more: Sheldon Flanighan death outside Cramlington pub: two verdicts recorded

Toby Kelly, now 38, of Wansbeck Avenue, Blyth, plus a 28-year-old Blyth woman and a 32-year-old man from Newbiggin-by-sea, in Northumberland, were charged with the murder of Mr Flanighan and the attempted murder of the second man.

Kelly denied both offences at a plea hearing at Newcastle Crown Court in May, but defence counsel for his two co-accused asked that their clients were not asked to plead as they planned to seek dismissal of the cases against both, with a trial of up to three weeks proposed to start this month.

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But at a further hearing, later in May, both of Kelly's co-accused submitted not guilty pleas and the prosecution offered “no evidence” in each of their cases.

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Judge Penny Moreland duly recorded not guilty verdicts in both cases, leaving Kelly as the only defendant facing trial.

Read next:

Man denies murder of Sheldon Flanighan outside Cramlington pub

Trio accused of murder of Sheldon Flanighan outside Cramlington pub

 Tributes paid to Sheldon Flanighan, killed outside Cramlington pub

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He appeared at the court today (Tuesday October 10) where the trial jury was empanelled.

Judge Moreland told the selected dozen that the prosecution counsel, Christopher Tehrani KC, would open the case tomorrow (Wednesday October 11), with the evidence then beginning from Monday.

She said it was hoped the hearing be completed by Friday November 3.