Dale Martin: Derby father of murder victim says trial was ‘hell’
Martin, said he felt “relief” that court proceedings had now concluded.
“It hurts, we’re just going to go home as a family and just try and get back to some sort of normality which it never will do.
“It’ll never come to normality because DJ’s not there,” he said.
“He’s always in our thoughts, always in our hearts, he’s always here with me, it’s just hard and I’m just glad it’s all over.”
The attack – the court in Loughborough heard – followed a history of “animosity” between two rival groups, stretching back years, and two “tit for tat” confrontations earlier that weekend.
Martin was attacked near to where he had been attending a gender-reveal party several hours earlier at a pub.
The court heard a Renault Megane he was travelling in was ambushed when, “in a show of force”, the group put their electric bikes in the road to stop the car, which then swerved and stalled.
Adrian Langdale KC, prosecuting, told the trial, attackers had armed themselves with swords, machetes and “Rambo knives”.
Martin was pulled from the car through a smashed window and initially managed to escape, but then tripped on a piece of wood.
His attackers set upon him “like a pack of animals”, a witness had told the court.
