A MAN has been found guilty of murder after 25-year-old Liam Dent was struck and killed by a stolen car in Chessington two years ago.

Martin Eastwood, 22, of Conifer Park, Kiln Way, Epsom, was convicted of murder at the Old Bailey yesterday (7 March.)

Daniel Morris, 22, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to manslaughter before the trial and Jasmine Robinson, 19, of Stoneleigh Crescent, Epsom was convicted of assisting an offender.

Liam was struck and dragged for half a mile by the driver of a Ford S-MAX on Osborne Way in Chessington in the early hours of 26 July, 2019.

Earlier that night, the 25-year-old and his friends had been involved in an altercation with the occupants of a stolen Volvo V40 outside a local pub, though no-one was injured.

Footage from CCTV in the area showed the Volvo and Ford travelling together, while both cars were found burned-out on roads in Epsom following the crime.

Despite the fire damage, recovered telematics data from the Ford showed its location at the time of the murder and that it had sped up towards Liam, while conclusive evidence linked the car to Eastwood.

The investigation continued and 10 people were arrested between August and December 2019 on suspicion of offences including murder and perverting the course of justice.

Following renewed appeals to the public for information by police and Liam's family, Eastwood and Morris were both charged with Liam's murder on 16 October 2020.

Detectives also found that Robinson had helped Eastwood to travel to Sheffield shortly after the murder, buying coach tickets and searching for details of the murder on her phone.

The trio will be sentenced on 31 March.

Detective Inspector Garth Hall, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: "This was a demanding investigation as, despite significant evidence, we required witnesses to come forward and tell us what they had seen in order to understand the circumstances of that night's tragic events.

"The actions of Martin Eastwood were callous and intentional, Liam did not stand a chance when he was struck by the car and dragged along the road to his death."

"Robinson may not have been at the scene that night, but her behaviour following Liam's murder was calculated. It is only right that she too has been convicted for the part that she played," he added.

"The thoughts of my team are with Liam's family and friends today. They have finally got the verdict they have been longing for."