Drug deal turns to death as man is killed on street in Milton Keynes

A drug deal in a Milton Keynes street ended in manslaughter when a man drove his car deliberately into a "dealer" and killed him.
Croxton (left) and CoxCroxton (left) and Cox
Croxton (left) and Cox

A court heard 47-year-old dad and grandad Graham Cox was sent him flying into the air and landed heavily on his head, causing a fatal brain injury.

On Friday the man behind the wheel of the car that day, 42 year old Mark Croxton from Snowberry Close in Stacey Bushes, admitted manslaughter and was jailed for four years and six months,

Prosecutor James Norman told the court Croxton and a friend had been watching football on TV in June last year when his friend decided he wanted to buy drugs from a dealer.

Croxton (left) and CoxCroxton (left) and Cox
Croxton (left) and Cox

The friend drove to Fen Street in Brooklands with Croxton in the passenger seat to buy drugs from Mr Cox and his associates.

But the deal did not go to plan and violence broke out as Mr Cox and his friends attacked Croxton and his friend in an attempt to rob them.

Mr Norman said the friend ran off and was chased by Mr Cox, who was armed with a knife and handcuffs.

Croxton jumped back into the car to drive off in the opposite direction.

Graham CoxGraham Cox
Graham Cox

But, deciding he had to help his friend, he did a U turn in the street and drove back.

“Driving towards his friend he encountered Mr Cox and he deliberately steered the vehicle to strike Cox with the wing mirror,” said Mr Norman.

Defending Mr Peter Finnigan QC told the court: “The facts are peculiar. On this occasion unknown to Mr Croxton, the people his friend had gone to meet came to the scene armed and with it in mind to inflict harm on his friend and others.”

He said the weapons included knives, a baton and a taser type weapon.

Mark CroxtonMark Croxton
Mark Croxton

Passing sentence Judge Foster said Croxton had remained in the vehicle when he and his friend first arrived in the street.

It was the friend, he said, who got out and went across to meet the people he was hoping to buy drugs from.

“You were also under attack and weapons were being used against you” the judge told Cox..

“You manoeuvred to clip Mr Cox with the wing mirror and this is what you did. You must have realised Cox was seriously injured because you saw members of the public go to his aid and yet you drove off.

”To drive a car intending to clip him with the wing mirror is a highly dangerous manoeuvre even at low speeds,” said the judge. “You used the car as a weapon."

A statement made by Graham Cox's mum Maureen and read to the court she said her son had then been “heading in a downward spiral” which had led to prison sentences.

But she said her her son had remained “loving, polite and thoughtful” and battled to kick drugs - only fall back into drug taking because of the company he kept..

Croxton was originally charged with Mr Cox’s murder, but eventually pleaded guilty to a charge manslaughter which was accepted by the prosecution.