Two found guilty of murdering Hell's Angel

Two members of a biker gang were found guilty today of murdering a Hell's Angel who was shot dead on the M40.

Simon Turner, 41, from Nuneaton, and Dane Garside, a 42-year-old from Coventry, were also convicted by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The jury is still considering its verdicts on four other men who deny murdering Gerry Tobin, who was shot in the head near Warwick Services in August last year.

Turner, who told the court that he was at a workshop in Coventry at the time of the killing, was also unanimously convicted of possessing two shotguns which were found in the city following the murder.

Garside admitted during the eight-week trial that he was the driver of the Rover car from which Mr Tobin was shot, but denied playing any role in the killing.

Mr Tobin, a mechanic from Mottingham, south east London, was returning from the Bulldog Bash bikers' festival when he was shot as he travelled along the M40 at around 90mph on 12 August last year.

The trial has been told he was targeted simply because he was a "fully patched" Hell's Angel by members of the rival Outlaws motorcycle gang.

Following the verdicts, Mr Justice Treacy sent the jury back out to continue its deliberations, which have so far taken more than 21 hours.

The judge also gave a majority direction to the jury, allowing the panel to return verdicts on which at least 10 of its members are agreed.

A seventh defendant, 44-year-old Sean Creighton, pleaded guilty to murder before the trial began.

The jury has been told that Creighton, from Coventry, also admitted two firearms charges.