Timeline of events of Cllr James Nash attack one year ago

On August 5, 2020, both Councillor James Nash and Alex Sartain would lose their lives after a shooting, and subsequent police operation, in and around Andover.

Alex Sartain, who had a history of mental illness, attacked Cllr Nash at his home in Upper Enham; first shooting the councillor before repeatedly stamping on his head. Mr Sartain would later be involved in a police pursuit, and ended up crashing his motorbike at high speed on the A343 north of Hurstbourne Tarrant.

Here are the timeline of events that led to the terrible events of last year:

November 2019 - Alex Sartain is discharged from hospital after being detained under the Mental Health Act after an incident earlier in the year.

His brother, Scott, said Alex “came back a different person after being sectioned” and was in a “much worse state than before he was admitted.”

April 2020 - Alex Sartain is discharged from the community mental health team as they had been “unable to contact him”, and had sent a letter informing his GP at the Adelaide Medical Centre in Andover of this.

However, the letter was filed by administrative staff and never seen by a GP.

John then called the surgery, where he was told by a receptionist that “there was nothing we [the surgery] can do.” A review later found this was “inappropriate advice”, but the coroner said that it “cannot be ascertained” whether Alex being seen by a doctor would have seen him sectioned again.

The Adelaide Medical Centre is now under new management, with a new partnership which has introduced several "robust" systems, which it says are designed to prevent a repeat of incidents like this. In particular, discharge letters are now always seen by a doctor.

Just before 3pm, August 5 – Neighbour Timothy Austin sees a bike leave the Sartain home (1A). Alex Sartain rides the short journey down McCallum Road to the Nash household.

Cllr James Nash's home in Upper Enham

Around 3pm – Cllr James Nash is working on a well-pump in the front garden of his property (1B). Here, he is confronted by Alex Sartain, who shouts at him.

Inside, Sarah Nash, Cllr Nash’s wife, hears “a loud bang” as Alex Sartain fires an improvised shotgun at Cllr Nash. Cllr Nash manages to divert the barrel, and is given a glancing blow by the shotgun pellets. Alex Sartain attempts to fire again, but the gun jams after suffering a ‘light strike’.

Cllr Nash is then knocked to the ground, where Alex Sartain delivers “repeated forceful blows” by stamping on his head “with clear intent”.

At this point, Sarah Nash enters the front garden and attempts to distract Alex Sartain. He accuses her of working for a secret NASA project as she draws him away from her husband. Alex Sartain then moves to attack her, causing Sarah Nash to run into a neighbour’s garden for help (1C).

Alex Sartain leaves the scene by motorbike. Meanwhile, Caroline and Chris Wood, along with Sarah Nash, rush to Cllr Nash’s aid by providing first aid and flagging down an ambulance. Cllr Nash is then taken to Southampton General Hospital.

After 3pm – Alex Sartain returns to his family home (1A), where he is heard to shout that he has been “killing James” by a family friend, Toni Heaver. He then enters a workshop wearing bloodstained motorcycle leathers, and dumps the gun used in the shooting.

Toni Heaver drives to the Nash household, where she informs police of Alex Sartain’s whereabouts.

Shortly afterwards, Alex Sartain drives towards two police officers, PC White and PC Ness, who “had to jump out of the way to avoid being runover”.

Alex Sartain drove towards Andover in Enham Alamein following the attack

Alex Sartain is then witnessed by Timothy Austin driving along the A343 towards Andover on his motorbike.

3:30pm – Following the reports of a shooting, a police helicopter takes off from Bournemouth Airport to hunt for Alex Sartain.

The junction of the A303 near Thruxton where weapons and bloody clothes were dumped by Alex Sartain

Between 3:30 and 4:30pm – Alex Sartain drives to Thruxton (2), where he strips off his motorbike leathers. He puts the blood-stained clothing into a bag, alongside two improvised shotguns, devices used for disabling horses, and a large spanner, which is dumped at the corner of the A303 and Stanbury Road near the entrance to the village.

He then heads in the direction of Ludgershall.

The A342 towards Weyhill

4:30pm – The police helicopter spots Alex Sartain driving along the A342 from Faberstown towards Weyhill (3). He is wearing a blue t-shirt, red shorts and a motorbike helmet, and waves at police officers in the helicopter. Unarmed officers in Faberstown are advised to seek cover.

Foxcotte Road, where Alex Sartain was tracked by police helicopter

After 4:30pm – Alex Sartain drives along the A342 at the highest recorded speed during his pursuit, at 161mph. Approaching the Weyhill Fair roundabout (4), he turns left onto Foxcotte Lane towards Penton Mewsey. At this point, he becomes stuck behind two vans, and drives at the speed limit of 30mph.

Foxcotte Lane, where police pursued Alex Sartain

Around 4:35pm - Police are attempting to pursue Alex Sartain at this point, with PC Tate leading an armed response vehicle after him from Foxcotte Lane, which Alex Sartain has just turned onto outside Charlton.

PC Tate said that Alex Sartain was “travelling at quite a high speed” and that “within seconds the bike had started to widen the gap” between police and himself. However, PC Tate said Alex Sartain may not have been aware of their presence, as “at no time did he raise his head and look back”.

Shortly afterwards, PC Van Der Broek, travelling in an armed response vehicle behind PC Tate, is given permission to make tactical contact to attempt to knock Alex Sartain from his bike when it is safe to do so.

The junction of Foxcotte Lane with the A343

Police pursue Alex Sartain for around 90 seconds, intending to use tactical contact at the junction of Mays Down Lane and the A343 (5). However, Alex Sartain does not slow down as expected. He instead “accelerated significantly” and the police cars lost sight of him. However, the helicopter remains in pursuit.

The A343 towards Hurstbourne Tarrant

Around 4:40pm – Alex Sartain proceeds through Hurstbourne Tarrant at speed, and exits onto the A343 north of the village. He reaches a speed of 145mph on this stretch of road as he passes Esselbourne Manor and begins to descend Doiley Hill (6).

The scene where Alex Sartain crashed his motorbike on Doiley Hill

4:41pm - Entering a copse of trees, Alex Sartain narrowly overtakes the vehicle of Lyutskan Kabakov, who says he was travelling “so fast my vehicle shook as he went past”. Alex Sartain is caught on his dash camera, which would later be used as evidence at the inquest.

Rounding a bend, Alex Sartain crosses onto the wrong side of the road as he leans to take the bend. Coming in the opposite direction is Karen Bourne, whose vehicle is struck on its right door by Alex Sartain’s bike. The car’s wingmirror is ripped off, while the driver’s window shatters. Alex Sartain is observed to “wobble on his bike”.

Within two seconds, Alex Sartain leaves the road, and hits a tree at 145mph. The force is such that the front wheel of the bike is embedded in a tree, with Alex Sartain killed instantly by “multiple, catastrophic injuries”. The bike then is caught up in “a large explosion” and bursts into flames.

Fragments of the bike remain embedded in the tree

After 4:41pm – Karen Bourne stops at the scene, and flags down Lyutskan Kabakov. Police arrive shortly afterwards, and run towards the burning bike. They find Alex Sartain’s body 4m away from his bike, and find he is already dead.

August 6 - Samuel Llewllyn, a refuse collector for Test Valley Borough Council, comes across the bag dumped by Alex Sartain near Thruxton (2). He hands them into police.

August 8, 3:52am – Following his intercranial pressure rising “uncontrollably” and with his brain injury deemed “unsurvivable”, Cllr James Nash passes away at Southampton General Hospital.

August 18 - Inquests into the deaths of both Alex Sartain and Cllr Nash are opened and adjourned at Winchester Coroners Court.  Dr Amanda Jeffrey writes post-mortem reports into both of the deaths, stating that Cllr Nash died of head and facial injuries, and Mr Sartain died from multiple injuries.

September 15 - An interview with John Sartain, Alex's father, is broadcast on Radio 4. He said he was “‘very let down” over his son’s treatment by mental health professionals.

Southern Health later said it was 'working to ensure people get the most joined up mental health care possible'.

April 19, 2021 - An inquest is concluded into the death of Cllr Nash, concluding that he was "unlawfully killed".

April 21, 2021 - An inquest is concluded into the death of Alex Sartain, with the coroner ruling that he died in a road traffic collision. Police are cleared of any involvement in his death following their pursuit of Sartain.