A father from King’s Lynn who ran over his daughter in a “fit of rage” following an argument has been given a life sentence.
Nigel Malt, 44, was sentenced at Norwich Crown after a jury convicted him of murdering 19-year-old Lauren Malt following a four-week trial in July. He was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years.
The court heard Malt murdered Lauren outside her home in Leete Way, in West Winch on Sunday 23 January, by running over her in his car.
Malt had driven to her home address where he argued with her and her partner. The pair continued to argue in the street before Malt got in his black Mercedes C200, initially driving off with Lauren following on foot. Mobile phone footage captured by a neighbour who had been woken by the disturbance shows her following the car. Moments later Malt stops and reverses at speed, hitting Lauren with the car before driving forward, running over her again.
As witnesses ran to Lauren’s aid, Malt got out of his car, picked Lauren up from the road and put her in front passenger footwell. He’d been drinking, and on the way to the hospital, stopped at a nearby shop where Lauren’s mum worked.
Lauren was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A Home Office post-mortem examination later established the cause of death as chest and abdominal injuries.
Police had been alerted to a disturbance in the small cul-de-sac shortly before 7.30pm and received multiple calls from neighbours stating they’d seen a woman deliberately hit by a car.
Units were deployed to the scene and to the hospital where Malt was arrested on suspicion of driving offences, including drink driving, and murder.
Enquiries by the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team revealed Malt had been estranged from his family following several domestic incidents. The court heard that in 2019, Malt was alleged to have reversed toward Lauren in threatening manner almost hitting her leg. The matter was investigated at the time, but no further action was taken against Malt.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Holly Evans, welcomed the sentence. She said: “Lauren needlessly lost her life at the hands of her father, the very person who should protect her and keep her safe.
“This moment of rage had fatal consequences for Lauren and lifechanging ones for the rest of their family, who continue to grieve for her.
“There’s nothing that can bring Lauren back but today the man responsible for her death has faced justice.
“Our thoughts remain with Lauren’s family and friends.”
Lauren’s family have released a statement, paying tribute to a “deeply loved” daughter and sister who would never be forgotten.
“Lauren was a beautiful young woman who was loved by many. She was fun, friendly, and caring with a real zest for life and would always go out of her way to help anyone. Lauren had many passions in life such as music, art, makeup and she loved spending time with her brother and sisters and taking selfies.
“She had so much to live for and had so many dreams which sadly she will never complete as her life was tragically taken from her in a most horrific way, at the hands of her father, someone who was supposed to love and protect her. This is something we all now have to try and live with.
“Whilst nothing will ever compensate for the loss of her life and the pain we are all suffering, I am very grateful that justice was done and a guilty verdict was passed. I would also like to thank all those who have helped and supported me and my family through this time, even in the toughest of times there still are some beautiful people in the world.”
