Man jailed for murdering man with pick-up truck

A man who used a pick-up truck to murder another man by pinning him to a tree has been sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Jeremy Heath drove a silver Mitsubishi through a bollard before crushing 26-year-old Arlind Xhokola against a tree in Harlow in March.

Heath - along with two passengers - then abandoned the vehicle, with Heath setting it alight to try and destroy evidence.

The 51-year-old - from Ladyshot in Harlow - was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on Tuesday.

A jury heard Heath and the other two defendants from Harlow - 38-year-old Joe Jones of Great Plumtree, and Matthew Arnold, 40, of Little Pynchons - had been looking for crack cocaine on 29 March 2025.

Earlier in the day, the three men robbed a man at knifepoint of a black Ford Fiesta, believing it contained drugs or cash, only to abandon it after discovering it contained neither.

An hour later, the group encountered Xhokola, who was walking with two friends, in the Momples Road area. A dispute occurred between the men - believed by investigators to concern the use and supply of Class A drugs - before a chase began.

Xhokola ran on to a nearby cycle track, pursued by Heath, who was driving the pick-up truck with Jones and Arnold as passengers.

The court heard how Heath drove through a bollard, on to the cycle path, deliberately aiming the truck at Xhokola.

Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said the truck was driven between 20-25mph, steering it "harshly" towards Xhokola, "using it as a weapon".

Essex Police said Xhokola - an Albanian national - "stood no chance" and was found with fatal rib and spine injuries.

The court heard Heath had set the pick-up truck on fire afterwards in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Police said Heath was arrested by armed officers in Harlow two days later. Arnold suffered serious injuries during the fatal collision and was later admitted to hospital, where he was arrested on 1 April. Jones fled to an address in Sheerness, Kent, where he hid until he was arrested on 2 April.

The court heard Heath had 59 previous convictions for more than 100 offences, including burglary and possessing a knife in a public place.

Sentencing Heath, Her Honour Judge Loram said he was "clearly fuelled by anger".

"You mowed him down," she said, adding that Xhokola was unarmed and "posed no threat to you at all".

"You have lied and tried to mislead from the moment you were arrested," she told Heath, saying that "your arrogance is wholly unjustified".

Jones - who since 2003 had 13 previous convictions for 19 offences - was jailed for four years for robbery and possession of a knife in a public place.

Arnold - who had 52 previous convictions for 95 offences - was sentenced to two years for robbery.

Xhokola's partner said he was "a very sweet, kind, and gentle young man, who wanted to make his own family".

"He had a good heart, and those who truly knew him know that he was not a bad person," they said in a statement.

"He was respectful, caring, and left a positive impression on the people around him."

Det Insp James Holmes, who led the investigation for Essex Police, said the incident "was a deliberate and ruthless act of violence, using a heavy vehicle as a weapon".

Heath was described as "a prolific and dangerous criminal" who had previously bragged about robbing drug dealers.

"His actions in driving that pick-up truck, with lethal purpose, at Arlind Xhokola were the violent crescendo to a day of criminality carried out by Heath and his associates," Holmes added.

"Harlow is a safer place with them convicted and behind bars."

He added: "The majority of the community in Harlow are good, honest people who were horrified – and likely remain horrified – by what happened that day.

"Drug-driven violence is an issue we are committed to prioritising and stamping out. Drug addiction and supply lie at the heart of much of the offending we see, not just in Harlow, but across Essex."

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