Man jailed for driving into crowd and killing friend in Stockport
Jonathan Snape's been sentenced to a minimum of 24 years for the incident outside a social club in May
Last updated 18th Dec 2018
A man who killed another person by running him over outside a social club in Stockport has been jailed.
Jonathan Snape (15/12/1987) of Yew Tree Lane, Manchester has today (Tuesday 18 December 2018) been sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder and attempted murder.
Snape also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, section 20 assault and section 47 assault. He will serve a minimum of 24 years before being considered for release.
On Sunday 27 May 2018, Snape spent the day visiting pubs in Brinnington with a group of friends, which included 30-year-old Nathan Marshall.
The group were in good spirits and headed to a social club on Truro Avenue where they began playing pool before Snape became involved in a heated confrontation with another man.
He punched him in the face, causing him to stumble back, before he knocked one of the man’s friends out with one punch when she tried to intervene. No sooner had she hit the ground, Snape began repeatedly punching the man, who by this point was using pub furniture to try and protect himself.
CCTV footage then shows one of Snape’s friends and a group of customers - who hadn’t been involved - coming over and getting the offender to leave the building.
Outside the club, the offender climbed behind the wheel of a black Audi A4, with Nathan and another friend getting in as passengers, before he started driving dangerously in the direction of a woman.
At this point, Snape climbed out of the car and chased the woman who had shouted at him after being forced to dive out of the way of the moving vehicle. She managed to lock herself inside the club before Snape smashed the window of the building.
Snape continued to fight with people outside the club before climbing back behind the wheel of the Audi and driving towards the crowd.
One man hit the windscreen of the car and was thrown into the air before it became apparent to witnesses that Nathan was underneath the Audi.
After seemingly attempting to get Nathan in the car, Snape then dropped him before sticking his middle finger up at a woman who was trying to help. He then drove off.
The Audi was later found abandoned on the M60 motorway after he crashed into the central reservation. Snape handed himself in the following day.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics, Nathan died of catastrophic injuries.
Detective Inspector Andy Butterworth, of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Blinded by unexplainable rage, Jonathan Snape tried to cause as much damage as he possibly could, starting inside the club.
“Once outside he used a car to drive at a crowd of people causing serious injuries to one man and catastrophic injuries to Nathan, which sadly resulted in his death.
“Although he may not have intentionally targeted Nathan, he clearly didn’t give a second thought about the potential consequences of his actions. I don’t know what he expected would happen when he decided to use a car as a weapon and drive at speed towards another person.
“He will now spend at least the next 24 years at least in prison and have to live with the death of Nathan on his conscience, which is nothing more than he deserves.”