A Logan man accused of intentionally running down another man during a road rage incident more than four years ago has been cleared of murder.
Umar Al Enizi struck Troy Vandenberg with his car on a Browns Plains road in September 2021.
The 24-year-old pleaded not guilty to his murder at the beginning of his Supreme Court trial held in Brisbane over the past week.
After deliberating for several hours, a jury cleared him of murder and the alternative charge of manslaughter on Monday.
Mr Al Enizi was discharged from the dock and his supporters celebrated in the gallery.
The scene of a fatal hit and run on Wembley Road at Browns Plains. (ABC News: Baz Ruddick)
When the verdict was handed down, several of Mr Vandenberg’s family members cried and walked out of the courtroom.
During the trial, the court heard before Mr Al Enizi hit the 25-year-old, the two men, who were not known to each other, had been involved in a series of confrontations across several locations in Brisbane and Logan.
The first incident took place in Buranda, when Mr Vandenberg stopped his car in traffic and confronted Mr Al Enizi in his car, and accused him of cutting him off.
Following this interaction, for about half an hour the pair were captured on CCTV at times travelling in the same direction, and in some instances, Mr Vandenberg’s car was seen chasing Mr Al Enizi’s car
Multiple witnesses described Mr Vandenberg as the aggressor and the video footage showed him kicking Mr Al Enizi’s car or attempting to.
Troy Vandenberg died at Browns Plains in September 2021. (Supplied)
Just before he was struck, Mr Vandenberg was seen by another motorist running toward Mr Al Enizi’s car across multiple lanes before launching a hammer at his windscreen.
Prosecutors submitted to the jury that Mr Al Enizi had intentionally tried to kill Mr Vandenberg, but his lawyer argued that it happened so fast, there was not time to form an intent.
Saul Holt KC told the jury during closing addresses his client was subjected to “bizarre” and “increasingly terrifying” behaviour from a stranger over a protracted period and was in fear for his life.
He argued when he hit him, it was a “defensive response”.
“That person he swerved into… was out of control,” he said.
Mr Holt told the jury the death was “awful” but “in the face of extreme violence, we are entitled to respond” under the law.
“It doesn’t make it a crime, it makes it a tragedy,” he said.
Mr Al Enizi did not comment when he was free to leave court.