Brian Darby, 60, was walking with a group of friends in Ingleby Barwick on February 9, 2024, when he was mowed down by Martin Breeze, 57, driving a white van.
Breeze mounted the kerb and ploughed into several people after being called by his son Shaun, 30, who had been in an earlier altercation with the group.
The incident left Kelly Jordan fighting for her life with more than 20 fractures across her body, while two others were left with leg, wrist, and rib fractures and another person was narrowly missed by the vehicle.
Tragically, Mr Darby, who worked as a project manager with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, died at the scene, having been carried on the front of the van for a “considerable way”.
Brian Darby (Image: Family handout)
Today, the Breezes were jailed for a combined total of 48 years at Teesside Crown Court.
The court heard from Brian’s daughter Kayleigh Chapman on Monday, who described her father as “vibrant and full of fun” in an emotional statement.
She said Brian loved to socialise, would “light up the room when he walked in” and “go out of his way to talk to everyone in it”.
“Since he was taken, we have been left with a deep, profound sadness,” she added.
“It is like a light has been switched off. He was truly our number one person.”
She said the family had lost a figure of “vital support” with the passing of Brian, describing him as a “rock” to his partner.
“She misses the cuddles, love, and friendly conversations,” she said. “He was someone who could always be relied upon.”
The family attended every court date throughout the trial, which they described as “agonising”, and said there had been “no closure, no moving on, and no relief from the pain”.
“We are hoping today’s sentence will allow us to move on with our lives,” she said.
Victims left with PTSD and flashbacks after ‘living nightmare’
Kelly Jordan suffered life-changing injuries during the attack, which saw her spend six weeks in hospital and she described as “horrific”.
She spoke from the witness box using a crutch, describing how an evening of fun had descended into a “living nightmare”: “That day will always be a day of trauma and loss”.
The aftermath of the crash (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)
Kelly was left with more than 20 fractures across her body, and almost lost her life as a result on several occasions.
Scars on her body also serve as a “constant reminder of what happened” physically – although said sometimes the “mental [impact] was worse than the physical”.
Kelly still suffers from flashbacks, and has suspected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“I am constantly looking over my shoulder,” she said. “I have lost parts of me that I enjoyed the most. My 50th birthday plans were cancelled as I was too ill.”
She also missed her friend Brian’s funeral, which she said she will “never get over”.
Kelly added that her son Brandon Jordan, who escaped uninjured after being “narrowly missed”, has also struggled with his mental health following the incident.
“He has flashbacks of me and his friends lying on the ground. He struggles to sleep,” she explained. “It’s going to take a long time for Brandon to recover.”
Another victim, William Keats, was also left with significant injuries to his leg.
Police at the scene (Image: TERRY BLACKBURN)
An impact statement detailed how he feared the injuries would “affect him forever”, with the incident causing him to withdraw from his friends, cause issues at work and financially, and bring on a developed form of PTSD.
He also felt an “enormous sense of guilt” over what happened to his friend Brian.
His father Triston Keates added: “As a family, it has been the worst time of our lives. Nicola and I had to watch our son go through so much trauma.”
He has also had “terrible flashbacks” of the evening. “Nicola has nightmares where she is screaming out,” he explained.
Another victim, a teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also left suicidal over the incident, with an impact statement describing how he felt like he “couldn’t cope”.
“I now find that some nights I only get one hour’s sleep,” he said. “I feel numb most days.”
Pair jailed for total of 48 years
Breeze Sr, 57, was jailed up for 32 years for the murder of Mr Darby, the attempted murder of four others, and perverting the course of justice.
Martin and Shaun Breeze (Image: Cleveland Police)
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Meanwhile, Breeze Jr, 30, was jailed for 16 years for manslaughter, three charges of causing grievous bodily harm without intent, and perverting the course of justice.
The pair were convicted following a trial at Teesside Crown Court last summer, Breeze Jr for three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and one of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
However, a subsequent appeal saw one of his grievous bodily harm charges dropped and the others changed to wounding without intent.