Posted: 6:00 am July 1, 2022
Jurors heard the dying screams of a daughter who was crushed to death after being turned over and pushed by her father as a murder trial began.
Nigel Malt, 44, of Lynn Road, King’s Lynn, stood trial at Norwich Crown Court after denying murdering his daughter Lauren Malt.
The 19-year-old was pronounced dead on January 23 this year after being run over by Malt’s Mercedes car in Leete Way, West Winch just before 7.30pm.
Lauren Malt, who died after being run over in Leith Way, West Winch – Picture: Lauren Malt/Facebook
Lauren’s screams as she was run over by Malt were heard by jurors who were played audio and video footage of part of the incident filmed by horrified neighbours.
Andrew Jackson, opening the prosecution’s case on Thursday (June 30), told jurors: “What you heard there was a sound which the prosecution allege was no less than murder.”
He said Nigel Malt “reversed his car and knocked his daughter down”.
Mr Jackson said: “After knocking her to the ground, he reversed his car on top of her.
“He stopped and then drove the car forward over her body.”
Lauren Malt was “effectively crushed to death” during the incident, which Mr Jackson said happened after Malt threatened his daughter’s boyfriend, Arthur Marmel, with a crowbar.
Mr Jackson said Malt “used his car as a lethal weapon”.
He added: “A car, when driven at high speed, when it runs over another person, will inevitably cause death or really serious damage.
“It’s just plain common sense.”
Leith Way, West Winch, where Lauren Malt died after being run over – Credit: Archant 2022
The court heard at the time of the incident, Malt was “estranged” from his family, including wife Karen and daughter Lauren.
Mr Jackson said the relationship he had with his wife was “marked by drinking, drug taking, anger and threats of violence by the accused”.
After a breakup. Malt’s wife Karen, his daughter Lauren and her other siblings lived together at her grandmother’s home in Leith Way.
By the spring of 2021, Malt had twice assaulted his wife, resulting in his arrest and bail with conditions not to contact or visit his wife, who worked in a shop in West Winch.
Mr Jackson said that by January 23 this year the accused’s relationship with his family had been “shattered” but “that is something he is not prepared to accept”.
Malt had gone to Leith Way to knock for his daughter, but she wouldn’t let him in.
Between 18.25 and 18.52 he tried to call his daughter 19 times, but all calls went unanswered.
He tried to call his daughter three more times and at 19.14 she picked up.
After a call that lasted just over a minute, the defendant drove to Leete Way.
He arrived at 7:21 p.m. and, armed with a crowbar, began arguing with Lauren and her boyfriend.
Nigel Malt has gone on trial accused of murdering his daughter Lauren Malt, who was run over in Leith Way, West Winch – Credit: Shutterstock
Malt threatened Lauren’s boyfriend with a crowbar, but he managed to get away.
Lauren had gone behind the car “as if to prevent the defendant from going back to get Arthur”.
The car then swerved towards Lauren before moving forward towards her.
Mr Jackson said it was a deliberate act to cause maximum harm.
The court then heard how Malt picked up his unconscious daughter, whose sternum, ribs and spine were broken, and placed her in the front seat of his car.
A member of the public said ‘I don’t believe it, you killed her’ and he said ‘don’t call the police, don’t call the police’.
He then drove her to his wife at the store before taking her to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
Malt was arrested and questioned in connection with his daughter’s death.
First he had to say that Lauren’s boyfriend had been aggressive.
He said he heard Lauren but didn’t see her, but heard a “bang” after reversing.
Malt said he then saw Lauren and took her to hospital by car as the ambulance would have taken longer.
In a later interview, Malt said he thought he had hit a trash can.
But Mr Jackson, who insisted that if there had been a container in the road he would have seen it, said: “There is no doubt that the defendant caused Lauren’s death.
“You can be certain from the evidence that, using his car as a weapon, he approached her with the intention of killing her or causing her really serious injury.”
“Having done that, he ran over her again with the same intent.”
After the trial began, two of the 14-member panel were impaneled and the trial continued with a jury of six men and six women.
The case continues.
The father denies murder
The jury was also told that Malt said he killed his teenage daughter by accident.
The 44-year-old pleaded not guilty to murdering his daughter Lauren in Leith Way, West Winch on January 23 this year.
At the end of the prosecution’s opening on Thursday (June 30), Alison Summers QC told the jury there was no dispute her client killed the 19-year-old girl and that when he did it he was under the influence of alcohol.
She said he was angry at Lauren’s boyfriend but insisted what happened to his daughter was an “accident”.
She said it was “undoubtedly caused by very poor driving” under the influence of alcohol.
But she said Malt was so driven by his anger at her friend and so “hell-bent” on having the last word with him that he failed to make the proper checks when he put his car in reverse at high speed.
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