A driver and his passenger have been sentenced to life imprisonment after a tragic incident that resulted in the deaths of two young men riding home from a pub. Alex Rose, 30, and Charles Pardoe, 25, were found guilty of murder following a collision on the M3/A316 slip road in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, on July 22 last year.

The court heard that Rose drove his black pickup truck the wrong way down the slip road, crashing into an e-bike being ridden by William Birchard, 21, and Darren George, 22. The pair were returning home from the King’s Fairway Pub in Ashford when they encountered Rose, who had been searching for suspected burglars at his home.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC explained that Rose had called friends to assist him in his search. He and his friends, including Pardoe and Samuel Aspden, drove around the local area looking for the supposed intruders. However, Birchard and George were not involved in any criminal activity and were simply on their way home.

CCTV footage captured the moments leading up to the collision. At 12.49am, Birchard and George were seen riding the e-bike at a leisurely pace. Just a minute later, they were pursued at speeds exceeding 60mph by Rose and his accomplices. In a desperate attempt to escape, the young men rode the e-bike the wrong way around a roundabout and down the slip road.

Rose deliberately crashed into the back of the e-bike, causing both men to be thrown off. After the collision, he performed a three-point turn and drove back up the slip road, failing to stop and assist the injured men. By the time help arrived, Birchard had already succumbed to fatal injuries, while George was taken to hospital but died the following day.

In court, Rose was sentenced to a minimum of 32 years and 308 days in prison, while Pardoe received a minimum of 28 years and 178 days. The prosecution described the incident as a "violent retaliation" and highlighted the reckless nature of their actions that night.