Man denies killing ambulance worker Sheldon Flanighan outside Bay Horse pub in Cramlington

A man has appeared in court and denied murdering an ambulance worker outside a Northumberland pub.
By Amanda Bourn
Published 2nd May 2023, 13:07 BST
Updated 2nd May 2023, 13:07 BST
Cramlington man Sheldon Flanighan died after being knocked down outside The Bay Horse on April 1.Cramlington man Sheldon Flanighan died after being knocked down outside The Bay Horse on April 1.
Cramlington man Sheldon Flanighan died after being knocked down outside The Bay Horse on April 1.

Sheldon Flanighan, 55, died after being run over by a van close to The Bay Horse in Cramlington on April 1.

Toby Kelly, 37, of Wansbeck Avenue in Blyth; David Fairclough, 32, of Emerson Road, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea; and Shannon Wooden, 27, of Blyth, have been charged with his murder.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On Monday, Kelly pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Flanighan and trying to murder a second man, who was also hurt in the collision.

Fairclough and Wooden were not asked to enter pleas during the hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, and Judge Paul Sloan KC set a trial date of October 3.

Mr Flanighan, who worked for the North East Ambulance Service and had two sons, was described by his family as a “dedicated father and a wholehearted community man”.

They added: “Sheldon came with a character larger than life, a smile and laughter that lit up the room and a heart that saw the good in everyone.

“This personality endeared Sheldon to our family, his ambulance service colleagues, the golfing community, and his life-long friends from Northumberland and the wider North East.”