Gang of six armed robbers targeting luxury sports cars in the Dordogne ‘shot British man, 63, as he tried to defend his Aston Martin’, French court hears

• David Dunsby suffered pellet wounds during the attack at his home last year
• The court heard how a gang member were on the look out for ‘upmarket cars’
• Karol Ciezynski had his attempted murder charge reduced to aggravated theft

A gang of armed robbers targeting luxury sports cars in the Dordogne shot an Englishman as he tried to defend his Aston Martin, a court heard today.

David Dunsby, 63, suffered multiple pellet wounds during the attack at his home in the village of Javerlhac-et-la-Chapelle-Saint-Robert, South West France, last year.

Mr Dusby is believed to be the father of the late Corporal James Dunsby, a British soldier who died aged 31 while on a route march testing would-be recruits to the Special Air Service SAS reserves in 2013.

On Monday, Perigueux Criminal Court head how Toby Powell, a 22-year-old UK national, was among the gang of six who were looking for ‘upmarket cars’ when they attacked Mr Dunsby.

Karol Ciezynski, the 37-year-old admitted to pulling the trigger, saw his ‘attempted murder’ charge reduced to ‘aggravated theft’.

 David Dunsby (pictured) attending the Coroner’s court. After the attack he was rushed to hospital and needed urgent surgery to remove the pellets in his body

The court heard how Ciezynski pointed a shotgun at Mr Dunsby and demanded the keys to his Aston Martin sports car in March 2021.

Ciezynski claimed he ‘shot into the ground’ in order to scare Mr Dunsby, but in fact he was hit by pellets in the neck and chest. 

At one stage Ciezynski punched his victim but insisted in court: ‘I didn’t want to kill anyone’.

The gang sped away after grabbing the keys but the Aston Martin was later caught on speed cameras driving at almost 120mph. It spotted parked up by police a few days later.

Mr Dunsby was rushed to hospital and needed an emergency operation to remove the pellets from his body.

He has since been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to court evidence,

View from the historic village Bergerac with Dordogne. The attack happened at Mr Dunsby’s home in the village of Javerlhac-et-la-Chapelle-Saint-Robert, South West France, last year.

Ciezynski and Powell have admitted burglary, after DNA evidence placed them inside the stolen car.

But they insist their attack was carried out ‘on the spur of the moment’ while they were high on alcohol and drugs, including cannabis and cocaine.

They said they had picked up the hunting gun from a hiding place in woods close to Javerlhac, and admitted wearing masks and gloves throughout the attack.

Further evidence showed that the gang also stole a Chevrolet Corvette from a British couple in the village of La Chapelle-Montmoreau, where they also took property valued at almost £60,000.

Stock image of an Aston Martin. The gang sped away after attacking Mr Dunsby and grabbing his keys

Sokol Hoti, 38, was described in court as the ‘director of operations’ of the gang, which was based in Dordogne, an area of France hugely popular with British expats and second home owners.

Hoti is said to have rewarded other gang members with supplies of cocaine, as well as profits from the sale of the stolen cars.

The case continues.

In 2015, a British coroner highlighted ‘gross failures’ within the military that led to the deaths of James Dunsby on a 16-mile route march in the Brecon Beacons, south Wales.

It was the hottest day of the year when Corporal Dunsby, 31, collapsed and died, along with Lance Corporals Craig Roberts and Edward Maher.

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