BARRY THOMAS DORMAN Statement

NAME: BARRY THOMAS DORMAN
AGE / DATE OF BIRTH: 47

04091948

Who states:- This statement consisting of 012 pages, each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that if it is tendered in evidence I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.

DATED: 081295
B T DORMAN (SIGNED)

I am the above named person and I live at the address overleaf with my daughter Susan Louise DORMAN who is 17 years old. I have lived at this address for the last sixteen years.About 18 - 19 years ago I was working as a shift engineer at Tunnel Refineries, Greenwich. At this time I was buying and selling cars in my spare time and as a result I met a man called Patrick TATE. At this time Pat was living in Havengore, Pitsea, and he was about 19 to 20 years old.My contact with Pat continued as I started to see him attending car auctions. As a result of this we continued our contact on a friendly business basis but our contact was limited to the dealing in second hand cars.About 11 years ago I had a serious car accident and as a result of my injuries I had to give up my full time job at Tunnel Refineries. After about a year as a result of my continued contact with Pat TATE it was suggested by him that I try the second hand car trade full time.

It was through Pat that I managed to acquire the rented forecourt located at the junction of the old A13 and One Tree Hill. At this time the garage was called Eastern Garage and the forecourt was a separate entity alongside. I took up the forecourt with my cousin, Steven DILLON, who was already a car trader in London. We named the forecourt Cousin Cars and began trading in 000085. My contact with Pat TATE increased as he was running another car front on Canvey Island called Beech Autos. My contact with Pat was still limited to a friendly business basis. After about five years my cousin and I had a big fall out and as a result we parted company. I continued to trade and was joined at the site by a man called Graham LAW who at that time was also trading from the Five Bells Roundabout site on the A13.

After a period of time the two garages amalgamated as Eastern Garage Car Sales and I ran the Five Bells site and Graham ran the One Tree Hill site. We have continued like this to date. About this time I became aware that Pat TATE had become involved with the police in respect of some criminal matter and that he was in custody. I can remember being contacted by his girlfriend Sarah SAUNDERS who told me that the police had seized about twenty thousand pounds from Pat which they believed was drug related money. It was the first time it was mentioned that Pat may be involved in the dealing of drugs although I had been aware that Pat took or used cocaine himself. I had known Sarah SAUNDERS for many years as her grandmother lived very near to my own house.

She asked me to help Pat by showing that the money was related to car dealing not drug dealing and to do this she asked me to find for her all the car invoices which related to car trades between Pat and myself. I did this and handed them to Sarah and as a result I was required to attend Chelmsford Crown Court at a later date to give evidence at Pat's trial. I was later told by Sarah that Pat had been convicted of robbery and had been sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. Whilst Pat was in prison he contacted me and as a result I went to visit him at a prison in Kent. He asked me to sort out a vehicle for Sarah SAUNDERS which I agreed to do.

I also visited Pat one other time when he had phoned and asked me to go and see him. My next contact with Pat was when I was invited to Pat's release party at Sarah SAUNDERS' mother's address. At this party I was introduced to a person by the name of Steven ELLIS by Pat as well as a number of friends and family. I can also remember spending time with a man I know as Bill BAXTER. I knew Bill BAXTER through the car trade and I knew that Bill had some involvement with Pat in respect of a car front in Southend. Bill BAXTER now runs the car front opposite Nova Car Sales on the London Road, Leigh on Sea and I believe Pat TATE still has a financial involvement with Bill BAXTER.

After the party I can remember Steven ELLIS and Pat coming down to my car site with a view to Steven buying a vehicle. At this time I can remember Steven ELLIS having about seven thousand pounds in cash to spend. To my recollection this would have been about 18 months ago. ELLIS did not buy a vehicle from me but I knew that he had originally come to me on Pat's recommendations. My contact with Pat continued as before with reasonably regular contact through the trade and the sale of a number of vehicles to Pat.

I would describe my relationship with Pat as friendly although we did not socialise outside of work. It was around this sort of time that Pat started talking about a man called Tony TUCKER who he said he had met at a nightclub where Tony was working as a doorman. I had never met Tony but I can remember Pat talking about him. It was around this time that I was told that Pat had been shot and he was in Basildon Hospital. I went to the hospital with Graham LAW to see Pat and when I was there Pat's brother, Russell, turned up.

Although I had known Russell as a car trader, I have had very little to do with him. We only stayed with Pat for about 10 minutes as I merely wanted to let him know that I had heard and passed on my good wishes. Although I had this regular contact with Pat and we had built up a trust between us, he never told me any details of what he was involved in other than to do with cars. As he knew I had previously been in the Metropolitan Police service for a short period and I was also wary of Pat with his volatile temperament, I was always careful of what I asked Pat in case he thought I was trying to get information from him.

I was later told that the man I had met at Pat's party, Steven ELLIS was possibly involved in the shooting, although I do not know whether there is any truth in this. I have never asked Pat about the shooting, or his other business as I know he would be suspicious of my reasons. I later became aware that the police had found a number of items in Pat's possession at hospital and as a result he was returned to prison. I believe the items included a hand gun, a quantity of cocaine and some tablets.

I did not go and see Pat in prison but I was asked by Pat through Sarah SAUNDERS to dispose of his current vehicle which was a black 928 S2 Porsche index AN0928S. I took possession of the vehicle from Sarah and after having some work done on it I put it up for sale on my front for about eight thousand nine hundred and ninety five pounds. When I had the car I received a phone call from Pat in prison telling me to keep the money if I sold the car and not to give it to Sarah or anyone else. I had the vehicle for a couple of months and during this time I took two deposits on the car but the sales fell through.

When I took the deposits I used to put a 'sold' sign on the vehicle and when I did this I received a visit from the man called Tony TUCKER. At this time I think I had met TUCKER once or twice when he had attended the car front with Pat before he was returned to prison. When he came to my garage, TUCKER told me to give him the money whilst Pat was in prison. Although I had heard about Tony TUCKER and I did not want to cross him I was more concerned about crossing Pat and therefore I told Tony I would not give him the money. When I stood my ground I told him what Pat had said, Tony seemed to accept it and left my garage.

I kept the car for a couple of months but could not sell it. I therefore returned it to Sarah SAUNDERS. In this time I only saw Tony TUCKER once more when he came up to my car front on a horse and asked me if I had had any luck selling it. At this time I had become aware of Tony moving into a house in Fobbing High Road with a large plot of land. I had a couple of phone calls from Pat whilst he was in prison but they appeared to be merely for a chat rather than anything specific. The next time I saw Pat was when he came down to my car front after he had been released from prison.

This was at the end of 001095/ beginning of 001195. I believe at this time he was on his own and we had a general chat about domestic and general matters. At this time he appeared quite level headed and normal. My next contact with Pat and Tony TUCKER was when they came to my garage after Pat had had an accident in Tony's black Porsche 928S4 index 9TT. The vehicle was badly damaged and Pat was asking me to sort it out as cheaply as possible. The vehicle was brought to the One Tree Hill site and my daughter spent a lot of time trying to locate cheap second hand spares for the repair.

I also arranged for quotes to carry out the body work. As a result of the Porsche repairs I began to have virtual day to day contact with either Pat, Tony or both. The majority of the time they were together and were accompanied by a younger man called Craig. At that time I had a blue Range Rover 3.5 Vogue S.E. index F424NPE on my forecourt as I had recently taken that in as part exchange. I had purchased this vehicle from a Mr Graham HERSON of Kingson Road, Stanford le Hope on the 021195. I can produce a copy of the purchase invoice for this transaction as my exhibit BTD/1.

As Tony TUCKER was now without a vehicle he and Pat showed interest in purchasing the Range Rover which I had for sale at ten thousand nine hundred and ninety five pounds. After some negotiation I agreed to sell it to them for nine thousand eight hundred pounds but I knew that neither Pat or Tony would be able to get finance on the vehicle. When I pointed this out Tony stated that his friend would be buying it on his behalf but he would be using it. I agreed to accept a two thousand pound deposit and put the remainder on finance.

A friend of Tony's, a man who gave his name as Mr P CUTHBERT of 55 Templewood Road, Hadleigh, Essex, then attended my site and provided sufficient details for me to complete the finance agreement. I was handed two thousand pounds in cash at this time but I am unable to say which one of them gave it to me - They then took the keys from me and drove the vehicle away from my forecourt. I completed a sales invoice for the transaction and showed the purchaser as Tony TUCKER. I can produce a copy of this invoice as my exhibit BTD/2. I then sent off the completed finance agreement and received my cheque from the company for the balance.

I am still in possession of the registration document for the vehicle which I can produce as exhibit BTD/3. The finance company would have issued a paying in book to Mr P CUTHBERT to enable the monthly payments to be made. This book would have been sent to CUTHBERT's home address. The Range Rover was taken by Pat and Tony on the 141195. From that day when Pat, Tony and Craig visited my car front they would be using the Range Rover. Craig would normally be the driver with Pat in the front passenger seat and Tony in the back. As stated I had a number of visits from them enquiring about the progress with the Porsche repairs.

I can remember during one of their visits Tony was really annoyed and stated that 'they' were trying to link him to the supply of the Ecstasy tablet which killed the girl called Leah BETTS. He stated that he knew who had supplied it as he'd been told by one of the doormen. He also stated that he had made some checks and knew that the girl regularly took tablets and that she didn't even live with her father. He was really ranting and raving to Pat about it and I heard him say that it was only because her dad was a policeman that such a fuss was being made.

During the morning of Wednesday the 061295 I was at the car front when Pat, Tony, Craig and Mr P CUTHBERT arrived in the Range Rover. I would describe CUTHBERT as male, white, 5'10 to 5'11, late 30's, reasonably fit build. I have been told he is a ceiling fixer. The four of them came into the office and I was handed by one of them the paying in book relating to the Range Rover finance and between them they produced three hundred and twenty one pounds and forty pence in cash. I was asked by one of them, I can't remember who, to keep the book and remind them when the payments were due. I agreed to do this as it was in my interest to make sure the finance was paid.

I had also been told by Pat and Tony at the time of purchasing the vehicle that they intended to pay it off in one lump fairly quickly. I paid this sum into the Barclays Bank at Pitsea Broadway the following day. I can produce the paying in book as my exhibit BTD/4. Sometime during an earlier meet with Pat he had asked me whether I had a suitable vehicle for him to give to Sarah SAUNDERS. He told me there had been a lot of problems between them and he wanted to give her a car to get her off his back.

I told him I had a VW Passat on the forecourt which I had taken in as part exchange on the 251195. I showed him the vehicle which was metallic green in colour and had the registration number F120GGF. He agreed to take it for a test drive and we later agreed on a price of one thousand eight hundred pounds for the vehicle. I can produce a purchase invoice for for this VW Passat as my exhibit BTD/5. I left my garage forecourt around 1700 to 1730 on Wednesday 061295 intending to play my friend Keith MOORE at squash. (Keith MOORE's home address is 35 The Fieldway, Pitsea Mount, Pitsea, Basildon). At this time my daughter Susan and an employee Micky STENNING (home address: Bastbrooks Place, Pitsea, Essex) were at the car front.

En route to squash I received a phone call from Micky STENNING stating that 'Herc' (which is my pet name for Pat TATE, i.e. short for Hercules, due to his size) had arrived at the car front to collect the VW Passat. Pat then came onto the phone and told me he would still take the vehicle even though he didn't need it as he had had a bust up with Sarah SAUNDERS. I told him that he didn't have to take it but he insisted that he would. He told me that he would pay me for the vehicle in the morning as he had a 'lump of money coming'. As a result I agreed to Pat taking the vehicle that night, which he did.

The following morning, Thursday the 071295 I returned to my car site around 0900. Between 1100 and 1200 midday I was at the site talking to a customer when a female approached me and called me by my name, i.e. 'Bal'. I did not recognise her and as I was talking she appeared to move away. A short while later I returned to my office and the same woman approached me and said words to the effect of, "Bal, can they trace that Range Rover back to you". Not knowing her I said, "What Range Rover", and she replied, "The one that Tony's been using". At that I realised that she was referring to the Range Rover being used by Pat TATE and Tony TUCKER.

I asked her why and she just replied, "Oh nothing". She then walked out of the office. I would describe this woman as female, white, 5'3, slim build, tanned freckled face with mousy straight hair. I believe that she is the girlfriend of Tony TUCKER. I was obviously concerned about why she had come in and asked that question so I immediately tried to contact Pat TATE on his mobile telephone. When I called the number 0585 429316. I got no reply so I tried his other mobile number of 0973 740923.

When this was answered it was by a female who I did not recognise. I asked to speak to the 'big man' and she said he was out on a job. I asked if everything was alright and she just said, "Yeah". I then tried to phone Tony on his mobile number of 0385 317327, but all I got was Tony's answer phone. I did not leave a message. I then tried to phone Tony's home phone number of 01268 555332, but that was unobtainable.

I have not seen Tony TUCKER. Pat TATE. Craig or Mr CUTHBERT since. Purely as background information. I am aware that Pat, Tony and Craig were heavily into body building and in their quest to increase their size were injecting substances. I believe that all three of them used the Progress Gym for an hour each morning.

BARRY THOMAS DORMAN

B T DORMAN SIGNED

081295 DATE:

DS1976 WYATT

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