'Selfish' driver who hit cyclist not a murderer, jury told

Warning: This article contains distressing content

A motorist who dragged a cyclist trapped under his car for more than a mile was responsible for his death, but that did not make him a murderer, a court has heard.

Simon Richardson, 35, is on trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court accused of the murder of head teacher Michael Mullins, 56, who was knocked off his bike as he travelled home from Stretford Grammar School in Manchester.

Prosecutors say Richardson knew Mullins was underneath his car shortly after the collision but drove on anyway, which he denies.

Mullins became entangled in the suspension of Richardson's Volvo XC90 and was dragged for 2.2km (1.4 miles) after the collision in Warburton, near Altrincham, on 20 April.

The court heard Richardson drove through Give Way markings at a junction in Warburton and collided with Mullins, who went under his vehicle.

A motorcyclist followed a trail of blood and discovered Mullins alone and barely breathing as he lay on a grass verge in a secluded country lane in Lymm, Cheshire.

Emergency services attended and Mullins was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards.

In his closing speech to jurors on Tuesday, Jaime Hamilton KC, defending, said: "You are likely to hold Simon Richardson in contempt. That contempt may well manifest itself in a loathing of Simon Richardson and, in fairness, you are probably right to.

"Because it is right that we acknowledge it was the actions of Simon Richardson that led to the death of Michael Mullins.

"Not only is he responsible for the death of Michael Mullins, he acted in the most selfish of ways with one thought in his mind – himself.

"But that does not make him guilty of the homicide offences on this indictment."

He said the prosecution had made a "conscious decision" to limit the jury's choices to murder, manslaughter or "not responsible at all", rather than putting offences of causing death by dangerous or careless driving on the indictment.

It is alleged Richardson stopped at the country lane and twice got out of the vehicle in attempts to pull Mr Mullins free, which he also denies.

Richardson then mounted the grass verge in his Volvo and finally dislodged him before he reversed over Mr Mullins causing "crushing" injuries to his chest.

The defendant's cousin, front-seat passenger Gabrielle Debotte, previously told the court that both heard "moaning" shortly after the collision in Paddock Lane and that he went on to say: "He is under the car."

But Mr Hamilton said Ms Debotte had "changed" her accounts of the journey in various statements to the police and in evidence to the jury.

He said: "One of the things that you will have to do in your assessment of Gabrielle Debotte is to ask yourself, is she a honest, accurate and reliable witness?

"We say she is a narrator prepared to say whatever it takes to remove her further away from any sort of responsibility, and as a consequence to shift Simon Richardson ever closer to whatever suits her at the moment."

He added the prosecution had been "blind to the distinct possibility" that Mr Mullins was run over by one of the front wheels of the car in the initial moments of the earlier collision.

Jurors have been told that to convict Richardson of murder they must be sure that for at least part of the time from when Mr Mullins was dragged under the car to being left on the grass verge that he intended to kill or seriously harm him.

Trial judge Mrs Justice Brunner said they must also be certain the injuries suffered during that period were more than a minimal contribution to Mr Mullins's death.

On the alternative offence of manslaughter, she said jurors must be sure that the defendant assaulted Mr Mullins which, again, was more than a minimal contribution to his death.

The defence argued there was no assault committed because Richardson did not realise that Mr Mullins was or possibly might have been under the car.

Richardson denies murder, manslaughter and a separate allegation of dangerous driving on 21 April following a police pursuit before he was arrested.

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