Murder trial hears man was trapped under reversing van

A police accident investigator has told a murder trial that security supervisor Mohammed Abu Sammour was trapped under a reversing van.

Alan Stewart was giving evidence at the trial of 22 year-old Scott Pearson who denies murdering security supervisor Mohammed Abu Sammour at the Torrance Gardens housing development in Newarthill, on October 28, last year.

It is alleged he, while acting with two others, repeatedly punched and kicked Mr Sammour, knocked him to the ground rendering him unconscious, then kicked and stamped on his head before reversing his own works van over him.

Constable Stewart told the High Court in Glasgow he found a trail of clumps of hair when he examined the scene.

He told prosecutor Murdo McTaggart that there were also bloodstains and tyre marks.

The court has heard that Pearson, Ryan Hunter, 28, and an 18-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, encountered Mr Sammour when they took a shortcut through a building site he was working at.

Hunter has already admitted the culpable homicide of Mr Sammour.

It is alleged that Mr Sammour was attacked and then reversed over.

Nearby householders heard a commotion and a car revving and went outside to find him lying dying.

Constable Stewart said: “Mr Sammour would have to have been in contact with the van and then trapped under it.”

He added: “When the scene was examined we found clumps of hair.”

The traffic policeman told the court that he believed Mr Sammour was lying on the ground when the van struck him.

He added: “If he was standing at the rear of the van it would have projected him. In my experience of pedestrian knock-downs he could not have been standing. It is likely he was lying on the ground near to the van as it started to reverse.”

The court heard that the Peugeot van had a low clearance of only 13 centimetres and Constable Stewart added: “Mr Sammour has become trapped and then pushed by the van across the gravel surface as it reversed. The trail of hair had been created at Mr Sammour's head has been forced across the gravel.”

Constable Stewart was asked if the driver of the van would have been able to see behind him and replied: “The only view would have been through the mirrors on either side of the van.”

The traffic cop said in his conclusion: “This collision has been the result of the driver reversing the vehicle when it was not safe to do so due to Mr Sammour being behind it.”

He said the revving sound heard coming from the van and tyre marks found at the scene could indicate that 'there was something I believe the driver should have been aware of.”

Defence QC Tony Graham asked: “What do drivers do if they are driving an unfamiliar car,” and the policeman added: “They either stall it or over- rev it and ride the clutch.”

The trial before Lord Burns continues.