Two men jailed for killing young father in Costco car park last year

Cousins James O'Driscoll, 45, of Hamlet Hill in Roydon, and Patrick O'Driscoll, 32, of Purkiss Road in Hertford, were jailed at Southwark Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Prasanna 'Nick' Arulchelvam.

The court heard Mr Arulchelvam suffered a fractured skull after he was "forcibly ejected" from the cousin’s van as it sped away from the Costco car-park in Hartspring Lane, Bushey, on May 26, 2013.

The father-of-one had jumped into the vehicle after he spotted the thieves breaking into his van to steal cigarettes he had bought to stock the Londis shops he ran in the south-east. 

Mr Arulchelvam, of Granfield Avenue, Watford, died 11 days later on June 6 in St Mary’s Hospital, London. 

James of Roydon was sentenced to seven-and-a-half-years in jail and Patrick of Hertford was jailed for for ten-and-a-half-years.

The pair also received three-and-a-half years to run concurrently for two charges of conspiracy to steal from motor vehicles.

Both men had entered not guilty pleas at a hearing in June but changed their pleas on Tuesday - day two of a proposed trial expected to last two weeks. 

The court heard how the O’Driscolls had targeted eight cash-and-carry stores across the south-east and had been waiting to rob people as they loaded their vehicles.

At around 2.30pm on May 26, Mr Arulchelvam was returning his trolley to the Costco store when his van was broken into. 

Witness described seeing Mr Arulchelvam jumping in though the open sliding door at the back of the van.

Within seconds he was "forcibly ejected" by a third man, Michael McInerney, who is still wanted by police, leaving him momentarily hanging on to the side of the van as it sped away.

Patrick O’Driscoll, who was banned from driving for six years, then "wiggled" the car until Mr Arulchelvam lost his grip, causing the back of his head to strike the ground with great force.

The 34-year-old sustained a fractured skull and brain damage.

James O’Driscoll had been waiting for the stolen goods in a second vehicle at a petrol station 400 yards away.

Prosecutor John Price said: "From all that is said about him from his bereaved family, it seems to have been entirely in character that he would have challenged this wrongdoing.

"What Mr Arulchelvam had acted to prevent was no opportunistic crime. 

"These three men had been acting together specifically targeting customers in that car park, and other car parks." 

Passing sentence, Judge Jeffrey Pegden said the men had embarked on a "carefully planned enterprise" to steal.

He said: "The thefts sometimes took place under the very noses of shoppers, and almost certainly in public places.

"In my judgement, it was entirely foreseeable to you that in carrying out your planned stealing there was every chance that someone might try to stop you and that you agreed you were prepared to use violence if necessary to enable your escape."

He concluded: "I accept your plan was not to cause harm...[and] the tragic consequences were not your intention. Moreover I accept you have shown genuine remorse.

"However, no sentence I pass could ever begin to heal Mr Prasanna's family's massive loss."

The pair turned to Mr Arulchelvam’s family and apologised as they were led away from court. 

Mr Arulchelvam’s wife said: "It seems unfair the men that did this to my husband will still have a future with their own families when they get out of prison. 

"Justice will not heal our wounds, nor can it help."