Men killed cyclists after car chase in deadly case of mistaken identify

Alex Rose, 30, deliberately drove his black pick-up truck into William Birchard, 21, and Darren George, 22

Undated Surrey Police handout photo of Charles Pardoe, who was found guilty of two counts of murder has been sentenced to life to serve a minimum of 29 years (Surrey Police)

Two men who murdered a pair of e-bike riders they had mistaken for burglars have been jailed for life.

Landscape gardener Alex Rose, 30, deliberately drove his black pick-up truck into William Birchard, 21, and Darren George, 22, while driving the wrong way down a motorway slip road in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, in the early hours of July 22 last year.

Rose and passenger Charles Pardoe, 25, got into a 60mph chase after Rose had suspected they were trying to burgle his home in Manor Gardens, Sunbury, earlier that evening.

Rose was on the phone to his girlfriend Tara Knaggs, 25, throughout the pursuit.

Surrey Police handout photo of Tara Knaggs, who has been found guilty of assisting an offender, has been jailed for three years (Surrey Police)

Jurors found Rose and Pardoe guilty of two counts of murder by a majority verdict at Guildford Crown Court.

Rose was sentenced to life to serve a minimum of 34 years, while Pardoe was sentenced to life with a 29-year minimum term, the court said.

Undated Surrey Police handout photo of Alex Rose, who was found guilty of two counts of murder has been sentenced to life to serve a minimum of 34 years (Surrey Police)

Knaggs, who was found guilty by the same jury of assisting an offender, was jailed for three years.

A fourth defendant, 25-year-old Samuel Aspden – another of Rose’s friends who had driven around the area in his own car the same evening – was cleared of both murder charges.

Undated Surrey Police handout photo of Darren George, who along with William Birchard was murdered by Alex Rose and Charles Pardoe (Surrey Police)

Their trial heard that neither Mr Birchard nor Mr George were “anywhere near” Rose’s home when he first suspected he had seen burglars, and had in fact been on their way to the pub in Ashford.

After around 12.50am, the pair drove their e-bike the wrong way round a roundabout and the wrong way down the M3/A316 slip road in an attempt get away from Rose and Pardoe.

Rose followed in his truck before driving into the back of the e-bike.

Undated Surrey Police handout photo of William Birchard, who along with Darren George was murdered by Alex Rose and Charles Pardoe (Surrey Police)

He then made a three-point turn and drove past the men lying on the tarmac. They were found in the road by a lorry driver.

Mr Birchard died at the scene from his head injuries, fractures to his face and skull and a severe brain injury, while Mr George died later the same day in hospital.

Rose and Knaggs were arrested at Birmingham Airport on the afternoon of July 22 last year, while Aspden and Pardoe were arrested two days later.