Man guilty of murdering Stretford Grammar School head teacher

A 35-year-old man accused of murdering a head teacher who was dragged under a car for more than a mile has been found guilty.

Simon Richardson denied murder and an alternative count of manslaughter over the death of Michael Mullins.

Mr Mullins, 56, was head teacher of Stretford Grammar School for 17 years. He was a married father of two.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard he was cycling home from work to Northwich when he was hit by a Volvo at 6.07pm on 20th April.

It happened at the junction of Dunham Road and Paddock Lane in Warburton, Trafford.

The jury heard Mr Mullins was trapped under the car and dragged 2.2km (1.3 miles).

He was found injured by a motorcyclist who followed a trail of blood to Wet Gate Lane in Lymm, Cheshire. Mr Mullins died a short time later.

What the court heard

The car's passenger, Richardson's 27-year-old cousin Gabrielle Debotte, gave evidence from behind a screen.

She told the court Richardson was driving at speed before the crash and she asked him to slow down.

Asked how he responded, she said: "He smirked and said: 'I'm a professional driver'".

Ms Debotte said she heard a noise from underneath the car after the crash and that Richardson told her: "He's under the car."

She said Richardson stopped on Wet Gate Lane and tried to pull Mr Mullins from beneath the vehicle.

Ms Debotte said: "I had never seen anything like that in my life. I still have visions of it."

Defending, Jaime Hamilton KC suggested she had made up some of her account after initially being treated as a suspect and arrested by police.

Phil Barnes KC said: "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."

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.

The Crown described Mr Mullins as the only solid evidence of what Richardson was driving away from.

The court heard Richardson twice attempted to pull Mr Mullins out before returning to the car.

The Crown said he then veered sharply and deliberately from side to side before he mounted a grass verge.

Mr Mullins was finally released, but the Crown said 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, who died from multiple injuries.

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

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

Judge and family reaction

Mrs Justice Brunner KC discharged the jurors from taking jury service again for 10 years.

She 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."

Richardson will be sentenced on Monday (2nd November).

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