A thug who was convicted of murder and attempted murder after driving his van into two men outside their local pub has been jailed for life – and must serve a minimum of 28 years.

On April 1, father-of-two Sheldon Flanighan had been with his friend Wayne Common at the Bay Horse in Cramlington when they saw an altercation between Toby Kelly and his associate Shannon Wooden.

After offering their assistance to Wooden, Kelly became angry and was asked to leave, along with Wooden and another man, David Fairclough.

The trio then got into Kelly’s van, and as ambulance worker Sheldon and Wayne left the premises, Kelly drove into them, inflicting catastrophic injuries, before cowardly leaving the area.

Paramedics and officers attended but despite their best efforts, 55-year-old Sheldon sadly died at the scene.

Wayne sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital. He was later released but has been left with long-term injuries.

An investigation was launched by Northumbria Police’s Major Investigation Team (MIT) and specialist officers were deployed to help support the men’s families.

Kelly was later arrested and charged with Sheldon’s murder and the attempted murder of Wayne, which he denied.

But, during the trial at Newcastle Crown Court, jurors heard damning evidence of his shocking behaviour and were shown body worn video footage of him laughing and joking – moments after learning of Sheldon’s death.

It didn’t take long for the jury to convict Kelly, of Wansbeck Avenue in Blyth, of both charges on Thursday, November 9.

And today (Wednesday) a judge has sentenced the 38-year-old to life with a minimum term of 28 years for Sheldon’s murder and 13 years and 149 days for the attempted murder of Wayne, to be served concurrent.

He will also be banned from driving for three years following his release from prison.

Wooden and Fairclough were also arrested and charged but the case against them both was later dropped, and no further action taken.

Speaking after the sentencing, the Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Dave Johnson, of Northumbria Police, said: “This has been an incredibly difficult time for Wayne and Sheldon’s loved ones, and I am pleased that Kelly has been jailed for life, and these difficult proceedings are at an end.

“I know that no sentence will ever take away the pain Kelly caused that night, or bring Sheldon back, but I do hope today can serve as a form of closure and allow all those grieving to begin moving forwards with their lives.

“Kelly behaved in a despicable manner that night. The jury heard details of his aggression towards Wooden inside the bar, before he chose to drive into Sheldon and Wayne. Even when we arrested him for causing Sheldon’s death, our body worn video footage captured him joking and lying to officers about who the driver was.

“I am pleased that Kelly has a long prison term ahead of him. I hope he uses the opportunity to seriously think about all the unnecessary pain and suffering he has caused due to his inexcusable anger. Our communities are no place for people like this.

“I would once again like to thank Sheldon’s family, and Wayne and his family, for their strength and support throughout. I also extend my thanks to the wider team at Northumbria Police, and our criminal justice partners, who have helped ensure Kelly has been brought to justice for his actions.”

https://beta.northumbria.police.uk/latest-news/2023/november/thug-jailed-for-28-years-after-murdering-father-of-two-and-ambulance-worker-sheldon-flanighan/