Moment ‘murderer’ overtakes car ‘before hitting headteacher and dragging him under car
Footage of an alleged murderer ‘absolutely tanking’ his 4×4 moments before ploughing into a headteacher on his bike and allegedly ‘dragging him to his death’ beneath the vehicle for more than a mile has been released today.
Simon Richardson’s Volvo XC90 is seen dangerously overtaking cars into oncoming traffic shortly before striking Michael Mullins, 56, as he cycled home from work at Stretford Grammar School on April 20.
Richardson allegedly failed to stop and instead ‘put his foot down’, reaching 60mph in a 30mph zone as Mr Mullins was dragged along the road for 1.3 miles before being left to die on a grass verge, Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
Witnesses described seeing Richardson’s black car ‘absolutely tanking it’ towards the junction of Dunham Road and Warburton Lane in Warburton, Trafford, shortly before the collision.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now released a 17-second clip of the incident, previously shown to the jury, which appears to show Richardson’s Volvo following two vehicles before pulling into the opposite lane to overtake them on Dunham Road.
The CPS also released an image of Richardson behind the wheel of the Volvo, allegedly captured by an ANPR camera moments after the collision. The picture appears to show a dent on the front right of the bonnet, with the driver’s window fully open.
Prosecutors claim Richardson stopped and tried to dislodge the injured but still-living cyclist before driving on with Mr Mullins still trapped beneath his 4×4.
He was found on the roadside. He was treated by paramedics but declared dead at the scene 40 minutes later.
Richardson, who is currently on trial, denies murder and the alternative charges of manslaughter and dangerous driving.
Alleged murderer Simon Richardson was caught on camera overtaking a car before he is said to have hit 56-year-old Michael Mullins and dragged him under his vehicle. Footage of the moments before the crash have been released
Dashcam footage taken from the car driving behind Mr Richardson appears to show him behind two other vehicles before moving into the opposite lane and driving past
The CPS also shared an image of Mr Richardson’s Volvo. There there appears to be a dent to the front right area of the car bonnet
Michael Mullins was killed as he cycled home from Stretford Grammar School on April 20
The court heard evidence on day five of the trial from Dr Terrence McGloughlin, a consultant in emergency medicine. He was asked by prosecutor, Phil Barnes KC, if it was his opinion that Mr Mullins survived the initial impact by the car.
Dr McGloughlin said: ‘My understanding from the evidence is that he survived the initial impact.’
Asked whether Mr Mullins was unconscious throughout the ‘dragging’, Dr McGloughlin replied: ‘On the evidence provided I am unable to say whether he was conscious or not.’
He was then questioned on what his opinion is on the cause of the traumatic cardiac arrest, to which he said a combination of factors including multiple traumatic injuries, respiratory failure and traumatic cardiac arrest.
Dr McGloughlin added blood loss can cause hypovolemic shock, which brings the heart rate down due to lack of blood volume. He said this affects the circulatory system and causes circulatory failure.
Dr McgLoughlin said evidence from the Apple Watch, worn by Mr Mullins, also showed the moment he was released from the car as the watch continued to record his heart. ‘It supports that he was still physiologically alive,’ he said.
But Jaime Hamilton KC, acting for Mr Richardson, questioned the doctor on the accuracy of the Apple Watch data.
Mr Mullins, pictured with his children as a younger man, was treated by paramedics but declared dead at the roadside 40 minutes after the collision, jurors were told
He enquired if data from the Apple Watch which indicated there was some movement within the body after 6.50pm – after the point Mr Mullins had been pronounced dead – could be due to movement of Mr Mullins wrist, to which the doctor agreed.
He accepted there was no heart rate at this stage. ‘So that means the data cannot be accurate, can’t it?’ Mr Hamilton asked. ‘I am not an expert in this area,’ Dr McGloughlin replied.
Mr Hamilton added after 6.50pm there were 202 readings of a heart rate. ‘It is my understanding that this was because the watch had been removed after 6.50pm,’ Dr McGloughlin said.
Jurors also heard evidence from Dr Chaz Dixon, an expert in navigation and GPS technology. He told the court how GPS is used to track a journey, connecting to satellites and/or phone masts.
Of Gabrielle Debotte’s phone – who was said to be a passenger in the Volvo at the time – he said it was in the vicinity of the Bulls Head pub before moving to Altrincham, going through the junction of Paddock Lane and Dunham Lane, before moving onto Wet Gate Lane in Lymm.
Looking at the journey the Apple Watch worn by Mr Mullins made, it showed he left Stretford Grammar School, went through Stretford, Urmston, Flixton, through Carrington, then on towards Lymm.
The court heard there was a gap of 28 seconds within the watch data. ‘The data has for some reason not been recorded,’ Dr Dixon said. ‘It’s very unusual to have a gap in the data of that nature. If I hadn’t known there was a collision I would struggle to know why that occurred.
‘Knowing that there was a collision, it seems very likely that this was as a direct result of the collision.’
He confirmed the data was consistent with both the phone and the watch being together at the junction with Dunham Road and Paddock Lane, briefly stopping at the junction with Mill Lane, then onto Wet Gate Lane, before the phone went east and they parted ways.
Mr Richardson, of no fixed address but formerly of Epsom Avenue in Sale, denies murder, an alternate offence of manslaughter and dangerous driving.
The trial continues.