Good Samaritan Dad Mown Down by Killer in Family Feud

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Prosecutor Jason Pitter KC told the court that Jhangur’s actions clearly amounted to murder, as he intended “at the very least to cause really serious harm” when he used his car as a weapon. Although his original target may have been members of the Khan family, the prosecutor explained that “the law says your intentions can be transferred from one person to another, even if he did not intend to hit that particular person.”

After causing fatal injuries to Mr Marriott, Jhangur exited the car and attacked Hasan Khan with a knife, stabbing him multiple times in the head and chest. His father, Mohammed Jhangur, 57, later attempted to conceal the weapon by hiding it in the boot of his car. The elder Jhangur was convicted of perverting the course of justice for that act and will be sentenced at a later date.

Jhangur denied both murder and manslaughter, though he admitted causing death by dangerous driving. He was convicted by a majority verdict after 18 hours of jury deliberation and was also found guilty of grievous bodily harm against Mr Khan, Ms Norris, his mother and sister. He was cleared of attempted murder but convicted of wounding with intent in relation to the knife attack.

Defending, Richard Thyne KC accepted that his client’s conduct had been “terrible” but argued it was “neither murder nor manslaughter,” maintaining that Jhangur’s state of mind fell short of the intent required for murder. The jury disagreed.

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During the hearing, Mrs Marriott delivered a moving statement describing her husband as “genuine, kind and loving,” adding: “Chris was a man of faith, and his love for God and for people shone through in what he devoted his time to. He had a compassionate heart and loved helping, supporting and empowering others.” She told the court the couple had been married for sixteen years and had planned to “grow old together”. “He loved being a dad, and never left me or them in any doubt of his love for us,” she said. “I miss his smile and his laugh, his touch, his wisdom and his encouragement. He was my best friend.”

The court heard that Mr Marriott, a volunteer and church worker, had been walking home with his family when he instinctively stopped to assist a stranger lying motionless in the road — unaware that his act of kindness would place him directly in harm’s way.

In sentencing, the judge told Jhangur that his decision to drive at speed into a crowd of people was “an act of extraordinary recklessness and aggression,” and that the devastation caused was “entirely of your making.” He added: “No sentence I impose can begin to measure the loss caused to the family of Chris Marriott, nor the trauma suffered by those injured, but the law requires I impose a sentence commensurate with the gravity of what you did.”

Jhangur showed no visible emotion as he was led from the dock to begin his life sentence.

Outside court, police described the case as one of the most shocking examples of violence they had encountered in recent years, noting that Mr Marriott’s actions that night had been selfless and courageous in the face of chaos.

The case brings to a close a deeply complex prosecution in which jurors were tasked with untangling the chain of family conflict, reckless violence, and tragic consequence that led to the death of an innocent man who had simply stopped to help.