The family of a father-of-four brutally killed in a targeted hit-and-run have spoken of their devastation.
Carl Eland suffered fatal head injuries when Brandon Ali and Joey Matthews took the decision to plough their Vauxhall Insignia into the rear of the cyclist as a long-running drug feud erupted into violence.
Mr Eland and his girlfriend, Kassi Weir, were targeted by the pair as they cycled in the Homerton Road and Gribdale Road area of Middlesbrough on August 21, 2021.
Today (Friday, August 19), the 21-year-olds were convicted of Mr Eland's murder and of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent on Miss Weir.
Read more: Two men have been found guilty of the murder of Carl Eland
Speaking after the guilty verdicts, Carl’s mother, Leona Eland said: "As a family we are broken and as a mother I feel lost, my heart and soul are broken.
"Carl’s girlfriend Kassi can’t move forward in any way, she feels so lost without him.
"My son was murdered and my best friend taken away from me forever. I will never see my only beautiful son again.
"My only life that I have now have left is my grandchildren and they are so important to me. I don’t know how my grandchildren will cope without their Dad, they will never be able to see or hear him ever again.
"When my son sadly passed away not only did he save Kassi’s life that night but he then went on to be an organ donor and saved three more lives. I’m so proud of my son in every way possible and we always looked out for each other.
"Carl was kind, loving, funny and very generous to everyone. He had a heart of gold, he was very proud of his children and he loved his family and friends. His dogs were his passion and he cared about all animals.
"I’m going to miss his smile and our chats that we had. He was my only chance for happiness and this has been taken from me."
And Temporary Detective Inspector Iain Pearson, from Cleveland Police - Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, added: "While nothing can sadly bring Carl Eland back, we hope that the verdict today helps the family to move forward with their lives.
"Carl’s family and friends have shown tremendous strength and resilience throughout the whole investigative and judicial process. Their pain and suffering has been unnecessarily prolonged through the lies and deceit told by Joey Matthews and Brandon Ali, yet despite this those close to Carl have composed themselves respectfully.
"This verdict would not have been possible without information or support from the community and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for assisting us with our investigation.
"Information from members of the public is key in any investigation and anyone who does come forward with information to assist can be assured that they will be thoroughly supported by specially trained officers throughout any process."
A jury at Teesside Crown Court took four hours to consider its verdict at the end of a two-week trial.
Ali, of Dalwood Court, Hemlington, Middlesbrough, and Matthews, of Newcomen Green, Middlesbrough, both 21, were remanded in custody.
The pair are expected to be sentenced in a week's time.
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