Driver convicted of murder of e-bike rider she ‘hunted’ down

Zoe Treadwell, 36, was convicted by a jury at Winchester Crown Court of the murder of Joey Johnstone, 28, on April 9 in Bournemouth, Dorset, as part of an ongoing feud.

She was also convicted of the attempted murder of her former partner Joshua Lovell, and causing grievous bodily harm with intent against Free Jenkins in a second incident on May 1.

Jonjay Harrison, 25, was also convicted of the same charges against Mr Lovell and Mr Jenkins.

Two other defendants, Taylor Warwick, 18, and a 17-year-old boy, were found not guilty of murder, the alternative charge of manslaughter and the attempted murder of Mr Lovell.

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The judge, Mr Justice Linden, adjourned the case for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

Sarah Jones, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court: “In the early hours of April 9 this year and in the afternoon of May 1, there occurred two horrific collisions, in each instance a car was driven deliberately and with shocking aggression into young men who were riding e-bikes.

“The men have been pursued by the vehicle, chased around the streets of Bournemouth and then rammed by the vehicle. The consequences were, unsurprisingly, extremely severe.”

Ms Jones said that Mr Johnstone died as a result of the April collision and the two victims of the May incident suffered a range of serious injuries.

She said that there had been a feud between Treadwell and the associates of Mr Lovell, with whom she had previously been in a relationship.

Ms Jones said “Both collisions were engineered as a consequence of a long-running grudge or feud, call it what you will.”

She added: “They have sought to obliterate their enemies and the weapons with which they chose to do that were their cars.

“These collisions were not accidents.

“The drivers may have sought to pretend otherwise, their associates may pretend ignorance of the purpose, but the Crown say that the men were targeted, located, hunted and then mown down by Ms Treadwell, or those doing her bidding or responding to her request for this to be done.”

Ms Jones said that ahead of the April 9 incident, Treadwell, from Bournemouth, was seen to drive off from her home in her Range Rover Evoque with Warwick.

She said the Range Rover travelled at speeds averaging between 66mph and 75mph in pursuit of e-bikes ridden “flat out” by Mr Johnstone and another man, Danny Singleton.

Ms Jones added that a post-mortem examination showed that Mr Johnstone suffered a “traumatic head injury”, with multiple fractures to the skull and other bones.

The prosecutor said that in the May incident, Harrison, in a Mercedes C180 car, pursued Mr Lovell and his pillion passenger, Mr Jenkins, on their Caofen F80 electric motorcycle, before colliding with them.

She said: “It would appear to have been coincidence that Josh Lovell came into Harrison’s path, but Harrison welcomed and seized the opportunity and followed in pursuit ruthlessly.

“His journey becomes a grim chase. There was no escape.”

Ms Jones said that Mr Jenkins said that he “heard his leg snap” on impact with a lamppost, and he told Mr Lovell: “I think we are dead.”

She said that Mr Lovell suffered multiple rib fractures, a thoracic vertebrae fracture and a wound to his left thigh and groin, and Mr Jenkins had his left leg amputated above the knee.