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A murder trial in Nottingham over a car attack that killed a 26-year-old man and injured four other people came to an abrupt halt last Tuesday after the judge discharged the jury. Duane Anthony, 40, is accused of murder and attempted murder in connection with the incident in Arnold, Nottinghamshire. The trial was already underway when the jury was dismissed, and a new trial has been scheduled for January 4. Both Anthony and his partner, Destiny Carrier, 29, remain in custody. As of Monday, April 27, 2026, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed it will proceed with the retrial.
The charges stem from an incident on Gedling Road in Arnold on May 9 last year. Police were called to reports of a car striking a group of pedestrians. Tyler Fairman, a 26-year-old who was among the injured, died in hospital three days later. Four other people survived but required medical treatment for physical injuries and the psychological impact of the ordeal.
Anthony, whose address was given as Marton Road in Bulwell, was subsequently charged with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder. The counts relate to Fairman and four other victims who were struck by the car. Carrier, 29, of Lothair Road in Leicester, was charged with assisting an offender.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty at earlier hearings. Anthony denied all charges, while Carrier denied the allegation that she had helped Anthony after the attack. The case has drawn local attention because it involves a vehicle being used as a weapon in a residential street, and because of the devastating consequences for the victim’s family and the survivors.
The case went to trial at Nottingham Crown Court earlier this month. On the day in question, however, the presiding judge discharged the jury for legal reasons. Court officials did not provide a fuller explanation in open court, but under English criminal procedure, that type of decision is normally made when the judge decides it would not be safe or fair for the jury to continue.
A jury can be discharged for a range of reasons. Sometimes a juror becomes seriously unwell. Sometimes members of the jury may have had improper contact with someone connected to the case, or they may have seen material that could prejudice their decision. A judge can also end a trial if a legal issue arises mid-trial that cannot be resolved in a way that lets the jury reach a proper verdict.
The key point, legal experts say, is that a discharge without verdict is not an acquittal. The defendant has not been found guilty or not guilty. The earlier proceedings are effectively void, and the prosecution can bring the case again with a fresh jury. That is what the Crown Prosecution Service intends to do here.
The retrial has been listed for January 4, 2027, at Nottingham Crown Court. Anthony and Carrier were both remanded in custody, meaning they will stay in prison rather than being released on bail while waiting for the next hearing.
For the families involved, the delay is another painful chapter in a case that has already taken a heavy emotional toll. Tyler Fairman’s relatives have not released a public statement since the trial was halted, but victim support services remain available. Nottinghamshire Police’s major crime team is also staying in touch with the survivors and their families, according to court reports.
The retrial is expected to include evidence from people who were in the area at the time, CCTV footage, mobile phone data, and testimony from forensic experts and medical professionals. Prosecutors will again try to prove that Anthony intended to kill or cause serious harm when he is accused of driving the car at the group. If convicted of murder, he would face a mandatory life sentence under English law, with a judge setting the minimum term after considering the full circumstances of the case.
In England and Wales, murder and attempted murder are among the most serious offences in the criminal justice system. Attempted murder carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A charge of assisting an offender, meanwhile, is treated as a serious secondary offence, though it is usually considered less grave than the primary violence.
The fact that a car allegedly was used to attack pedestrians is likely to feature prominently in the retrial. Judges in previous cases have treated the use of a vehicle as an offensive weapon as a significant aggravating factor. That could matter when the court determines the minimum term for any murder sentence, should Anthony be convicted.
In the meantime, the case remains active and neither defendant’s legal team has commented on the details of the evidence. The upcoming retrial will give both sides a second chance to present their arguments, and the jury will once again be asked to focus on the events of a single afternoon that turned a normal street in Arnold into the scene of a fatal crash.
Until then, Anthony and Carrier remain in custody, and the families of the victims must wait longer for the legal process to reach a conclusion. The courts have not indicated any further delays, but the legal reasons behind the jury discharge are still being reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service. A new judge and a new panel of jurors will be selected before the January trial, with the case officially listed and open to members of the public.
