Here is an extract from a police statement made by Darren Nicholls.
I went through Rettendon the latter part of 1995. I remember an occasion when I was there with other people, they were Jack Whomes and Michael Steele, I remember that day. I was at work that day, I was working at Sunbury on Thames, my mobile was with me. Michael Steele rang me that day, he wondered where I was and would like to meet me, we did not discuss where we would meet because I was at work, I agreed to meet him later on that day, at Ron Parkinson’s motorcycles, Marks Tey at 5 o’clock, I drove to Marks Tey, in I think my Golf Convertible, I have been to Ron Parkinsons before, it sells motorcycles. When I arrived I parked in the flats opposite, Mr Steele wasn’t there when I arrived. When I arrived I went into the motorbike shop, I bought something for my old motorbike it was either a battery or a light bulb, I then put it in my car.
Whilst I was walking back to my car I saw Mick, I waved to him I said I was just putting something in my car, and then I got in his pick up truck. The pick up truck was a red Toyota it was an M registration I think. When I got in I sat in the passenger seat, he said they were going down to do a deal with Pat him and Jack I said “where is Jack”, he said “he’ll be here in a minute,” I don’t recall anything else he said, then I noticed Jack had pulled up behind us. Jack was in a beige Volkswagen, it was a B registration, I had sold the car to Michael Steele. When he pulled up he got out and spoke to Mick I don’t recall what was said, then he got back in his car, then we pulled off onto the A12 heading towards London. I was with Mick in his Toyota and Jack behind us in his Volkswagen. I can’t recall exactly what was said, but he said we would meet Pat and there was going to be a drug deal or we were having a drug deal I can't remember.
At that time I didn't know where we was going. Mick said Jack would show me where the deal was going to be he said did I know this place but I'm not sure, he said don't worry Jack would show you where to go. Nothing happened on the journey just normal chat, he told me I was going to swap cars and I was to get in the car with Jack and he was going to meet Pat on his own. We stopped in a lay-by near the Halfway House, which is a pub restaurant on the A127. When we stopped in the lay-by I got in the car with Jack, Mick was going to the Halfway House with Jack. We got to the far end of the lay-by gates, we swapped drivers.
Jack was to swap the number plates. I got my feet wet, Jack was wearing overalls and wellies, I remember the wellies more than the overalls because they were new. When we stopped Jack got out to stick the new number plates over the existing plates but they wouldn't stick as it was too wet. I saw the number plates he was trying to stick, they were B registration as well and they were brand new. When the plates couldn't be stuck they were put in the back of the car, and he said drive down to the Halfway House pub. I had been to the pub only as a child or driving past on the way to Southend.
When we got to the pub jack told me to park at the back as far away from the A127 as possible which I did. I could see Mick's Toyota parked in front of us to the left, after we parked Jack changed his mind and said no dont park here park as close to the A127 so I moved the car. I could still see the hi-lux which was in front again but to my right. Then we had to leave the car running because the windows were misting up because of the weather, I said shall we have a drink and Sack said no. Then he said we were waiting for Pat to arrive and go to a meeting point, shortly after that he said right go.
I saw a dark coloured Range Rover when he said that, the Range Rover drove and parked next to Micky's hi-lux, I couldn't see who was in the Range Rover. Jack then told me to drive off and up the slip road by the pub and back down the A127 to Southend, that is what I did. then he gave me directions down the A127 and on to the A130 to Chelmsford I think, which I am familiar with. A130 goes from the A127 all the way to Chelmsford, but we went to the Rettendon Turnpike, which is a roundabout with traffic lights on it. I went straight over to carry on towards Chelmsford, on the other side of Rettendon turnpike and up the hill and back down hill and out the other side.
Jack then said slow down and take the next right, which I did, it was a lane not a road, then I turned left into a gap to turn the car round, the head lamps were facing the road back towards the A130. Jack told me he would ring me when he wanted picking up, I had my mobile with me, he got out had a bag and a coat from the back, the bag I think was a canvass sausage shape bag, I didn't notice it in the car before, I might have done but it didn’t register. He told me he would ring me when he wanted me to pick him up, so I pulled off and went right towards Chelmsford, I drove down the road to the first point I could turn round to a petrol station, then I drove back up the road and parked in a pub on the left hand side of the road. I left the engine running and checked my phone to see I had a lousy signal so I moved to get a better signal up the road.
The pub I was in had a bright pink Morris Minor, the next pub I parked in past the lane and up the hill and took the first left turn, went up that road turned around and first left up there, then came up and parked outside the first house on my left and waited for him to ring. I didn’t wait there very long, my phone rang, Jack said come and pick us up and hung up I think I might have said ok. I turned right went back down the road, and had to wait for a few cars to go past so I could turn right into the lane, then turned the car round to face the road again. I didn’t see anyone and after a short period of time the back opened and Jack got in. I didn’t notice the interior light come on.
I said “where’s Mick” he said he won’t be a minute he’s dropped something. Jack was sitting between the back seats talking to me then Mick opened the passenger door of the car and the interior light came on. When the light came on I was looking at Jack, I notice he had surgical gloves and I saw something on them like blood, Mick said turn the interior light off, Mick had shut the door about the same time, then he said “lets get going,” he said go left towards Rettendon turnpike, so I pulled out, something clicked in my mind something had happened.
I pulled out in front on a car, Mick asked if I was ok, I said yes I was and as we drove up the road towards turnpike, Mick said they wont f..k us about no more, and Jack said yeah it was quite funny cause when Mick had shot one of them the gun fell apart, he kept asking me if I was ok several times. I realised what happened but not to who, so I said I hope I don’t fall out with you two, Mick said no you wont fall out with us. Micks started to hand over to Jack parts of the gun, I saw the barrels. I dont know the names of the other parts, I definitely saw the barrels. I was driving I was a bit confused at the time.
From the Rettendon turnpike we went back down the A130 to Southend, then at Rawreth traffic lights I turned left, straight to the bottom of that road, we turned right and then took another right turn on or two roads later. As we went up the road there was a pub on the right, the Hungry Horse or Hungry Hippo something like that. I drove into the car park of the pub and parked next to Mick’s Toyota which was on the left and stopped the car. They got out and I was still sitting there.
Mick had opened up his Toyota he told me to go and get in the Toyota which I did, then they were getting changed sort of thing, Mick was taking off his wellies and overalls off over his wellies, then slipping his shoes on, boiler suit and wellies were put in the pick up truck and Jack did the same I think, and then we drove off Mick drove the hi-lux with me in passenger seat and Jack was behind us in the Passat. We drove past the Rettendon lane, then Jack overtook us on the dual carriageway as we were driving slower.
There was some conversation in the car with Mr Steele, he said Jack was very cold hearted I said why, he first of all said when they stopped down the lane a gate had been shut so I got out the range rover I didn’t know where Jack was, then Jack leant into the range rover and shot all three of them, Jack handed Mick a gun and Mick shot them, then he said once that had happened Jack reloaded his gun and shot them all in the back of the head. I cant recall anything else that was said, I did say can we stop and have a drink Mick originally said yes good idea as Mick looked shaken up but when we got to Marks Tey he said best get home straight away. Then I got in my car and headed back to Braintree.
Afterwards I was working at Mick’s new house, like a cottage and there was things spoken there with Jack and Mick. In conversations Mick told me that when he was driving to the lane with them in the Range Rover that Pat’s girlfriend Sarah had rung Pat on the telephone all lovey dovey which he hated, not like when Sarah talked to Mick and Jackie. He was concerned Pat might have said he was with Mick now but he didn’t. Then he hung up the phone just as they were at the lane. I don’t know if it was Mick or Jack said when Pat was shot in the back he started to squeal like a baby and his hand had come up and put his hand through the window.
Also Jack had said to me at some point Mick was really excited when he shot them and saying “give me some more cartridge, give me some more cartridges.” Afterwards Mick said that he hadn’t felt bad about it as Pat deserved it he was such a b........, who would give a f..k that pat was dead as nobody liked him which was quite true probably. There was conversation as why it happened with Mick. Roughly it was that when the money had been returned from the bad drug deal a lot of the money Pat had put into it wasn’t his he had borrowed it and that what Pat decided to do was not pay the people back and blame Mick to say he hadn’t paid them back. Mick knew this because Sarah had told him Pat’s ex girlfriend.
Pat was telling them he hadn’t been paid back and if he wasn’t paid back he would kill Mick.
