A Hailsham iman who directed an automobile toward a group of friends, resulting in the death of one man, has been found guilty of the crime of murder. After emergency services received calls about a man having been hit by a car on Western Road in Hailsham, they arrived at the scene around 11 p.m. on Saturday, November 18, 2023. It was then that investigators started looking into the possibility that a murder had occurred.
Before the emergency services arrived, the car had fled the scene.
Jack Field, 24, of Hailsham, was discovered gravely hurt at the location and, unfortunately, perished from his wounds.
After the verdicts, "the most selfless, respectful gentleman" is how Mr. Field’s family described him—paying tribute to him in what appears to have been an emotional statement delivered after the court proceedings concluded.
"He can never be replaced and has left behind a gaping hole that will never be filled. We will hold him in our hearts forever," they said.
While nothing can restore Jack, we are pleased and satisfied he has received the justice he earned.
Ms. Packham, in her opening, told the jury that Mr. Field's friends had gotten into an argument with one of Dumble's friends, Jimmy Stonestreet, who was parked nearby.
After seeing his friend embroiled in an altercation, Dumble entered Mr. Stonestreet's car and drove it toward Mr. Field and his friend. He did not, however, go straight at them but instead veered toward a parked car. They crashed hard enough that the parked vehicle served as a sort of battering ram to send Mr. Field into the road.
Dumble, she says, drove over Mr. Field's head, killing him instantly, and then fled the scene.
Witnesses described how Dumble, who was not allowed to drive, looked out of the gap of the driver's window before running over the top of Mr. Field.
Dumble turned himself in to the police about 24 hours after the event and was taken into custody on suspicion of murder. He was later charged with murder, with attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, and with driving while disqualified and uninsured.
Dumble stated during the trial that he did not intend to hit anyone and that a fault in the vehicle led to the incident.
The expert vehicle examiner, who was part of the prosecution case, dismissed any suggestion that the vehicle could have accidentally slipped into reverse from drive.
"The Crown Prosecution Service thinks this was no accident," said Katie Quincey.
She added: "Dumble had every chance to just leave the scene but chose, in his angry state, to use that vehicle like a weapon and to run people down."
The court saw a video of interviews done by detectives with a group of young men who, like Mr Field, had been at La Perouse on the night of the incident. The first of these young men was Owain Leaney. He said he was "quite drunk," but still recalled an altercation and a vehicle coming toward them.
He said it was definitely coming at us as a group with intent.
Chief Inspector of Detectives Alex Campbell said, "This was an act of violence that makes no sense, and for no reason we can determine, seemingly unprovoked, that has taken the life of a young man."
“Kyle Dumble turned his car into a deadly weapon that night in November, and fled the area with no regard for the tragic scene he left behind.
“This has been a complex investigation and I would like to thank the investigative team for their hard work in bringing Dumble to justice, and Jack’s family for their support and resolve during this incredibly difficult time.
“We now look ahead to sentencing, where Dumble will rightly face justice for his crimes.”
https://witnessdirectory.com/UKexpertwitnesses/non-medical-experts/vehicle-investigator/
https://witnessdirectory.com/signup.php
