A man who ploughed into the back of a motorbike following a high-speed chase through the streets of St Helens, killing its 17-year-old driver, has denied murder.
Harley Lea suffered fatal head injuries when he was thrown from the motorbike after it was struck by Brandon Glover's Toyota Corolla on Park Road, near the junction of Blackbrook Road and Boardmans Lane, in the early hours of October 4 2022. Two other men, Jordan Carter and Louis Coleman, who were passengers on Mr Lea's bike, were also injured.
Brandon Glover, 24, of Pasture Close in Clock Face, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, March 14, where he pleaded not guilty to murder, manslaughter, two counts grievous bodily harm with intent, and two counts of attempted GBH.
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Gasps rose from the public gallery as CCTV showed the moment Brandon Glover’s car crashed into the back of the two motorbikes following a high-speed chase, in which Glover drove his vehicle up to 97mph along the 30mph residential road.
The incident, prosecuting counsel Andrew O’Byrne said, was sparked by the theft of Mr Glover’s younger brother’s motorbike from outside his Rainford Street home earlier that night.
The court heard at around 7pm October 3, Benjamin Glover returned from work, parked his motorbike behind his gate and padlocked it. Later, at around 11.45pm, his mum Vivian Glover was disturbed by strange noises outside.
“She looked outside and saw a group of males pushing her son's motorbike away, having cut the chain,” Mr O’Byrne said.
Benjamin Glover called 999 to report the theft at around midnight on October 4, and also called his brother Brandon, who came to the house in his Toyota. Shortly before 12.15am, the brothers decided to go out and search for the thieves.
Mr O’Byrne said: “The defendant and his brother decided to drive around in the Toyota to see if they could find and retrieve the stolen bike. The journey took them around the general area and eventually they heard the sound of motorbikes, and they decided to investigate.
“The brothers saw two motorbikes, a Honda and a Benelli. The Honda was driven by the deceased, Harley Lea, and the passengers on that bike were Jordan Carter and Louis Coleman.”
Brandon Glover pursued the two motorbikes through the general area before being cut off by a set of bollards. He then drove out of the estate where he saw the bikes ahead of him, and went after them “at speed”. He followed them onto Park Road, where the front of his car collided with the wheel of the Benelli, causing the motorbike to fall onto its side and slide onto the pavement. The two men on the Benelli, driver Alexander Owen and passenger Leyland Lee, then got up and ran away.
Mr O'Bryne said: "But those on the Honda were not so fortunate. The front of the car struck the rear of the Honda. These vehicles continued moving forward, then came to a halt adjacent to each other at the junction, where sadly the consequence of that collision was that Harley Lea died as a result of the injuries he suffered."
The court heard Mr Lea suffered severe head injuries, including a large fracture extending completely across the base of his skull. Jordan Carter suffered a double leg fracture and cuts to his head, and Louis Coleman suffered fractures to his pelvis, spine, legs and right elbow.
Brandon Glover called 999 and remained at the scene. He told police he was driving at around 40mph, and in a later interview said he had struck an unknown object in the road, which caused him to crash into the two motorbikes.
He also said the motorcyclists had "taunted" him by waving a set of boltcutters at him as he chased them, and the court heard that a set of boltcutters was found at the scene - however, neither of the motorbikes involved in the incident was Brandon Glover's brother's stolen vehicle.
Mr O'Byrne said: "We say the incident was no accident. We say that this fatality and these serious injuries were as a result of a deliberate manner of driving by this defendant. Not to put too fine a point on it, our case is that he used his car as a weapon, and drove that weapon at the motorbikes, on which the people injures were either riders or passengers."
He said that Brandon Glover had "deliberately driven his car at them, with terrible consequences".
The trial continues.
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