A “distressing” video of a man being repeatedly run over in an Iceland car park in Dagenham has been played in court.

The screams of 47-year-old John Avers can be heard in footage played to jurors at the Old Bailey, as he was run over four times by a BMW X6 in the Whalebone Lane South car park on September 13 2020.

Mr Avers died at the scene a short time later, having succumbed to "catastrophic injuries" suffered from being run over.

Bobby Ternent, 32, and his 59-year-old father Gary Ternent were subsequently charged with Mr Avers' murder.

The pair - both of Movers Lane, Barking - deny the charge.

At the trial which opened this morning - January 5 - prosecutor William Emlyn Jones QC told jurors that Mr Avers was first picked up by the defendants in a “sporty” BMW X6 in Wood Lane.

He was then driven to the carpark nearby.

Mr Emlyn Jones QC advised them they might think he was “making it up” when he told them what happened next.

He said: “What happened in the Iceland car park is that Bobby and Gary Ternent murdered John Avers by deliberately driving that BMW X6 straight at him, running him over.

“With Bobby Ternent at the wheel, and Gary Ternent holding John Avers down on the ground in front of the car, John Avers was run over once, then Bobby Ternent spun the car around and ran over him again.

“Gary Ternent then ran to join his son in the car before they then ran their victim over a third time – and a fourth time.

“Only then, no doubt satisfied that they had done enough damage, that they drove away, leaving John Avers dying or more likely already dead from the catastrophic injuries they caused him.”

The reason why may not emerge in the trial, but what happened was “beyond doubt” because it was seen by local residents and captured on CCTV, the QC claimed.

Before playing the footage, the prosecutor warned jurors that the “vital evidence” made for “distressing viewing”.

He said: “It shows you just about everything you will need to know so I am going to play it to you at the outset.”

Members of Mr Avers’ family left court as the graphic footage was played.

The video allegedly showed a “scuffle”, with the victim thrown to the ground before he was run over.

Mr Emlyn Jones QC explained that the footage had been taken from the CCTV system from the back of a house which overlooked the car park.

He said: "The microphone is at the front of the house where there is another camera, and the sound from the car park is loud enough to be heard by the CCTV at the front.

"Let me tell you, that there is no dispute about who you can see. The two people there with John Avers were the two defendants."

The trial continues.