00:00Tim, what can you tell us about this sentencing?
00:05I'm here outside Maidstone Crown Court where Chris McLean was sentenced to 16 years in prison
00:11following the death of Jay Gerritz in August last year.
00:15McLean, a 43-year-old with a history of violent behaviour, was facing a charge of manslaughter
00:20after the court heard how he chased the victim with a knife, causing him to fall from a 13-foot
00:25embankment into the path of an oncoming car.
00:28He reportedly yells, I've got a surprise for you, as he swung his knife at Gerritz and
00:32wanted to teach Mr Gerritz a lesson over a drug dispute.
00:36Prosecutor Ryan Richter told the court that it was the action of swinging the knife that
00:41caused Mr Gerritz to run and thus caused his tragic death.
00:45I see.
00:46And for people who haven't been following this story, can you give us some background details?
00:52Yes, on the 2nd of August 2025, Jay Gerritz, a 32-year-old scaffolder from Chelmsford, was
00:59reportedly buying cocaine when he was threatened by McLean.
01:03CCTV captured the moment that McLean chased Gerritz, causing him to fall into the road, into
01:08the path of a car on St Michael's Road in Sittingbourne.
01:12The driver of the car called police and they arrived on the scene, where Gerritz was pronounced
01:16dead.
01:18McLean was initially arrested on a charge of murder, along with two other individuals, Jack
01:23Hunt and Daniel Martin.
01:25During McLean's arrest, police found a quantity of cocaine, leading to a further charge of possessing
01:30a Class A drug with the intent to supply.
01:33The trial was set to begin on Tuesday, however, McLean later pleaded to a manslaughter, which
01:40was accepted by the CPS only after it was reviewed at the highest possible level, with
01:45the family being consulted as well.
01:47The two other defendants were cleared of the charge of murder, though Hunt will face a charge
01:53in May for supplying cocaine, and Martin was later cleared formally of a charge of perverting
01:59the course of justice.
02:01The sentencing took place on the day before what would have been Gerritz's 33rd birthday.
02:07Floral tributes were laid across St Michael's Road, with one reading, special partner, forever
02:14and always in my heart, I love you.
02:16A number of statements from the family were also read in court, with one describing Gerritz
02:22as full of life, full of love, and always close to his family.
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