'A gap has been left in our hearts' Motorist who mowed down cyclist and dragged him under car guilty of murder

A motorist who mowed down a cyclist and dragged him under his car for more than a mile has been found guilty of murder.

Headteacher Michael Mullins, 56, was travelling home from Stretford Grammar School in Manchester in the early evening of April 20 when he was struck by a Volvo XC90 driven by Simon Richardson.

Richardson, 35, drove straight through give-way markers at a junction in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, and into the path of Mr Mullins, who fell on to his bonnet and windscreen before he was drawn under the car.

The father-of-two became entangled in the suspension of the 4×4 vehicle as Richardson drove on, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Prosecutors said the defendant was aware the trapped cyclist was inches below his feet shortly after the collision in Paddock Lane, Warburton.

Phil Barnes KC told jurors: “Simon Richardson knew he was there and he inevitably knew what the consequences of driving on would be, and he did it anyway.

“For a split second after the collision, for a brief moment he possibly thought about doing the right thing and getting out and taking ownership of what he had just done and help the man he had just run down.

“But Simon Richardson did not get out. He did not do the right thing. He chose to drive away.

“The obvious reason is because he wanted to escape the consequences of what he had just done.”

Richardson’s front seat passenger, his cousin Gabrielle Debotte, told the trial that both heard “moaning” from outside as he drove from the collision scene.

Giving evidence for the prosecution she said Richardson went on to say: “He’s under the car.”

The Crown said Richardson drove to a secluded farm track in Wet Gate Lane, Lymm, 1.3 miles from Paddock Lane, in a bid to dislodge Mr Mullins, who was “the single, solid piece of evidence of what he was driving away from”.

He twice attempted to pull Mr Mullins out before he returned to the car and veered sharply and deliberately from side to side before he mounted a grass verge.

His victim was finally released, but he was driven over as Richardson reversed and drove away.

A motorcyclist followed a trail of blood from Paddock Lane and discovered Mr Mullins alone and barely breathing on the grass verge, the court heard.

Emergency services attended but were unable to save Mr Mullins, from Northwich, Cheshire, who died from multiple injuries.

Richardson was arrested the next day after a police vehicle pursuit.

He denied murder as he claimed he did not realise Mr Mullins was underneath his car and said he did not get out of his vehicle in a bid to free him.

Jurors were sent out to consider their verdicts on Wednesday and returned at about 11.45am on Friday.

Family members in the public gallery were in tears after the verdicts were returned.

Richardson, of no fixed address, was also found guilty of a separate allegation of dangerous driving on April 21, after a police pursuit before he was arrested.

He will be sentenced on Monday.

Mrs Justice Brunner KC discharged the jurors from taking jury service again for 10 years and told them: “This was, I know, an upsetting case and there was evidence which you may have found distressing.”

Mr Mullins’s family said: “He was devoted to his family and our lives will never be the same.

“A gap has been left in our hearts and within his role as a headteacher of Stretford Grammar School.”