Burglar who killed former Navy officer told he can’t launch appeal
A BURGLAR who mowed down and killed an ex-Royal Navy officer while stealing his Audi has been told he can’t appeal his conviction for murder.
Ryan Gibbons, 30, was jailed for life last November and ordered to serve at least 27 years behind bars following the death of Mike Samwell in in Chorlton in April last year.
Another burglar broke into the nuclear industry engineer’s home on Cranbourne Road and snatched the keys to his £35,000 Audi S3 before handing them to Gibbons.
Mr Samwell ran outside and tried to stop the theft, but Gibbons reversed over him then sped forwards to escape .
The 35-year-old lay dying in the road from catastrophic chest injuries as his wife, Jessica, held his hand on their driveway in April last year.
Gibbons - a career criminal without a driving licence - admitted burglary and aggravated vehicle taking but denied murder, claiming he didn’t realise the Audi had run over someone.
Last November, a jury dismissed his version of events. It took less than four hours for members to convict him.
Challenging the verdict at London’s Appeal Court, Gibbons’ barrister Simon Csoka QC said the ‘cards were stacked against’ his client during his trial.
He claimed the trial at Manchester Crown Court was unfair because the judge misdirected the jury in relation to the defence case.
But Lord Justice Simon said the arguments ‘do not give rise to arguable grounds of appeal or put in issue the safety of the conviction.’
The appeal court judge, who was sitting with two others, concluded: “Accordingly, the renewed application for leave to appeal is refused.”
Raymond Davies, 21, of Castlefield Walk in Manchester, had driven a team of four burglars to the scene, including his friend Gibbons, who was known by the nickname ‘Roly.’
The Appeal Court was told the Samwells woke up to find raiders in their home at 3am.
Mr Samwell, who previously worked as a weapons officer on board an attack submarine, ran out of his house shouting at Gibbons as he was driving off.
But Gibbons, of Egerton Road South, Chorlton, manoeuvred the car forward into some railings, then reversed over him before driving over him again, three judges were told.
Davies was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for eight years.