Two individuals have been sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally hitting two men on an e-bike while driving home from a pub. Alex Rose and Charles Pardoe were convicted of murder for driving the wrong way on a motorway slip road and crashing into the victims, William Birchard and Darren George, in Surrey.
Rose received a minimum sentence of 32 years and 308 days in prison, while Pardoe was handed a minimum of 28 years and 178 days. The incident occurred when Rose suspected burglars near his home and called his friends for help in finding them. The pursuit led to a fatal collision, resulting in Birchard’s death and severe injuries to George.
The prosecution argued that Rose intentionally rammed into the e-bike, demonstrating violent retaliation. Despite the victims’ innocence and attempts to escape, Rose and his accomplices continued to chase them at high speeds before the fatal crash. Rose’s girlfriend, Tara Knaggs, was also implicated for aiding Rose in escaping after the incident.
Following a trial at Guildford Crown Court, Rose, Pardoe, and Knaggs were found guilty, while another defendant, Samuel Aspden, was acquitted of murder charges. The Crown Prosecution Service emphasized the tragic outcome of the victims being at the wrong place at the wrong time, attributing the incident to Rose’s misguided actions and Pardoe’s complicity.