A father and son who held a man down in a supermarket parking lot and then ran over him four times in their BMW were sentenced today to a total of 48 years in prison for the ‘barbaric’ murder.
Gary Ternent, 59, and Bobby Ternent, 32, used the X6 automobile as a weapon to murder John Avers, 59, after they had a disagreement with him.
They took him to an Iceland car park in Dagenham, Essex, and when he got out of the car Gary Ternent held him down as Bobby repeatedly drove over him.
The Ternents claimed Mr Avers was a ‘big time villain’ who had threatened their family in a row over £40,000 worth of ‘stolen drug money’ and they were so terrified that they acted in self defence.
Jurors were visibly shocked as they saw horrifying CCTV footage of the incident and heard the dying man’s blood curdling screams.
Judge Anne Molyneux described Mr Avers as ‘a much loved father of two daughters’, adding.
‘He was the main part of their lives. Their pain and that of their mother is lasting…he will not be forgotten.’
She said of the victim: ‘He was screaming and a neighbour heard him crying out: ‘Help me! Help me!’
The judge said Mr Avers was already badly injured and described his ‘unimaginable terror’ as Bobby took the wheel and drove over him repeatedly.
‘This was a ruthless execution without mercy of a helpless man.
‘His pain and anguish are immeasurable.’
Bobby Ternent was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years while Gary must serve a life term and at least 23 years before he can be considered for parole.
Both were unanimously convicted of murder after their story about drug money was dismissed as a ‘preposterous fairy tale.’
Mr Avers’ family had wept in the public gallery as the verdicts were announced.
Jurors heard Bobby Ternent had set up the meeting with Mr Avers Wood Lane, Dagenham, on September 13, 2020.
John Avers, who was repeatedly run over
He picked up the victim and Gary Ternent was already in the car as they drove to the back of the Iceland store on Whalebone Lane South, also in Dagenham.
Mr Avers was allowed to get out – only for Bobby Ternent to deliberately run him over.
As he lay helpless and screaming in pain, Gary Ternent held Mr Avers down so his son could drive over him again and again.
‘Bobby and Gary Ternent together murdered John Avers by deliberately driving that BMW straight at him, running him over,’ said prosecutor Bill Emlyn-Jones.
‘With Bobby Ternent at the wheel, and Gary Ternent holding John Avers down on the ground in front of the car, John Avers was run over once; then Bobby Ternent spun the car around and ran him over again.
‘Gary Ternent then ran to join his son in the car…they then ran their victim over a third time, and then a fourth time.
‘And only then, satisfied that they had done enough damage, they drove away, leaving John Avers dying, or more likely already dead from the catastrophic injuries that they had caused him.’
CCTV from a nearby house belonging to Harroon Ibrahim captured the horrifying attack
Mr Ibrahim, who was at home that night, told police: ‘I still can’t believe that anyone would do that to someone.’
He ran out of his house after hearing screaming, said Mr Emlyn Jones.
‘He saw a large car and he saw that there was one person in it and in front of it from his vantage point there was a person on the ground with someone else holding him down.
‘He says that there was some movement between the two men in front of the car but he couldn’t make out exactly what it was, whether it was punching or kicking.
‘He realised that something was seriously wrong, so he ran to get his phone to call the police.’
Mr Ibrahim, having returned to his window, witnessed some shuffling between the two defendants before Bobby Ternent settled in the drivers’ seat and began to move the car.
‘He saw the large car reverse out of its space and he saw the BMW move towards the other two men.
‘He thought, as perhaps you would, that the driver was just trying to scare the person on the ground.
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