A driver who ploughed into a headteacher who was cycling home from school and dragged him, trapped under his car, for more than a mile has been jailed for life.<\/p>\n
Simon Richardson, who ignored give-way signs at a junction before the collision, was told he must serve a minimum of 25 years after a jury last week found him guilty of murder<\/a>.<\/p>\n His victim, Michael Mullins, 56, was remembered by his family as their \u201canchor\u201d. His wife said her life had been \u201cbrutally and callously torn apart\u201d.<\/p>\n Jailing Richardson, 35, on Monday, Mrs Justice Brunner KC said the defendant had shown an \u201castonishing degree of disregard for human life\u201d.<\/p>\n She said: \u201cFor every moment you carried on, you were knowingly using your heavy vehicle to cause serious injury to a man who was trapped, injured and completely helpless as a result of your actions.<\/p>\n \u201cYou did that because you decided escaping from the scene of an accident was more important than a human life.\u201d<\/p>\n Michael Mullins, 56, was cycling home from Stretford grammar school in Greater Manchester, where he was the headteacher, when he was struck by a Volvo XC90 driven by Simon Richardson. Photograph: GMP\/PA<\/p>\n Mullins was cycling home from Stretford grammar school on the evening of 20 April when the 4×4 Richardson was driving crashed into him. He hit the bonnet and windscreen of Richardson\u2019s Volvo XC90 and then went under it, becoming entangled in the suspension.<\/p>\n Richardson continued to drive for more than a mile, knowing that the trapped cyclist was just inches under his feet, a trial at Manchester Minshull Street crown court heard.<\/p>\n Simon Richardson, 35, has been jailed for life. Photograph: GMP\/PA<\/p>\n Richardson had denied knowing the father of two was under his car but the prosecutor Phil Barnes KC said the defendant knew, \u201cand he inevitably knew what the consequences of driving on would be, and he did it anyway\u201d.<\/p>\n Richardson\u2019s front-seat passenger, his cousin Gabrielle Debotte, told the trial they had both heard \u201cmoaning\u201d from outside as he drove away from the collision scene. Giving evidence for the prosecution, she said Richardson went on to say: \u201cHe\u2019s under the car.\u201d<\/p>\n The collision happened in the village of Warburton in Trafford, Greater Manchester<\/a>. The court heard Richardson, of no fixed address, drove to a secluded farm track in Lymm, 1.3 miles away, in an attempt to dislodge Mullins.<\/p>\n After he stopped, Richardson twice tried to pull Mullins out, before returning to the car and driving sharply and deliberately from side to side before mounting a grass verge, the court heard. Mullins was finally released but was then driven over again as Richardson reversed and drove away.<\/p>\n