Cardiff: Woman tells North Road murder trial she tried to help victim

A woman has told a jury how "helpless" she felt seeing a delivery driver trapped under his own van which had been stolen.

Seren Williams, who works at Cathays High School, gave evidence at Cardiff Crown Court.

Mark Lang, 54, died weeks after being dragged along North Road, Cardiff, on 28 March.

Christopher El Gifari, 31, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and theft but denied murder and robbery.

Ms Williams, who was on her lunch break at the time of the incident, said: "I saw a white van going over some sort of obstruction.

"I thought 'something's not right there'."

Ms Williams said she could see something "luminous" under the van before a man "ran off at speed" after she asked him what was going on.

She and a colleague went to the van and called 999 after seeing a person was trapped underneath.

"We felt helpless and wanted to move the van but couldn't as we didn't want to cause more injury," she said.

She said a colleague held his hand "just to let him know someone was there".

The court heard Mr Lang was delivering parcels in Laytonia Avenue and had left his keys in the ignition as he dropped off a parcel.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of Mr El Gifari getting into the van and driving off at speed, with Mr Lang chasing him.

In another clip, Mr Lang, who was wearing a high visibility jacket, can be seen standing in the middle of the road holding out his hand gesturing for the van to stop.

Prosecutor David Elias KC said the defendant then ran him down "without deviation".

The CCTV footage then showed the van as it hit Mr Lang, who disappeared from view before the van sped off.

Mr Lang's yellow high jacket is clearly visible under the bumper on the footage.

Detectives brought the van's dented bonnet into the courtroom to show the jury and judge.

Mr Lang's family could be heard sobbing in the court's public gallery.

The van continued down North Road for almost half a mile with Mr Lang trapped underneath the vehicle, the jury heard.

When it finally stopped near Cathays High School at the junction of New Zealand Road, Mr El Gifari got out and ran off, the court was told.

In a statement read to the court, the defendant's father, Khalid El Gifari, described later driving his son past the crime scene.

"I drove along City Road and Crwys Road and went down the road by Companies House which links to North Road," he said in the statement.

"As I got to North Road it was choc-a-bloc with traffic and I asked Christopher what happened.

"Christopher didn't say anything."

Mr Lang suffered crush injuries, serious head injuries and significant damage to his skin caused by being dragged along the road.

He died 18 days later as a result of a brain injury caused by a lack of oxygen, traumatic cardiac arrest and blunt force injuries to his trunk.

Mr Elias said Mr El Gifari, from Aberdare, was "responsible for the cowardly killing of Mark Lang, a hard-working man simply trying to protect his and others property".

The trial continues on Monday.