Personal trainer and CrossFit athlete Megan Murphy, 26, has been sentenced to six years in prison for causing the death of Darryl Tomlinson, 31, by dangerous driving. The incident occurred on January 9 last year in Marsh Green, Wigan, when Murphy drove the wrong way down a one-way street with a heavily iced windscreen, running over Tomlinson multiple times.
Details of the Incident
Murphy spent only three seconds attempting to clear her windscreen before driving. CCTV footage showed her vehicle's windows were opaque, and the windscreen remained covered with thick ice. She drove onto Pembroke Road, where Tomlinson lay in the road after falling while intoxicated. Murphy ran over him, reversed, and ran over him again. Witnesses waved and shouted, and a taxi driver honked, but Murphy continued. She later told a friend she had "reversed over him" and called him a "smackhead."
Court Proceedings
At Bolton Crown Court, Recorder of Bolton Judge Nicholas Clarke KC stated Murphy's actions were "hopelessly inadequate" and that she "deliberately chose to drive when you could not see properly." Prosecutor Rob Hall noted Murphy had a pattern of reversing out of an access lane and driving the wrong way down Pembroke Road to save time, disregarding the highway code. Murphy had previously admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
Victim's Background
Darryl Tomlinson had been drinking with friends and was reported to have consumed alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis. He collapsed on Pembroke Road at around 3.19 am. A resident called for an ambulance at 5.05 am, but due to an incorrect address, emergency services could not locate him. He died at the scene from chest injuries and acute alcohol poisoning.
Defense and Sentencing
Murphy's defense lawyer, John Dove, said she was "devastated" and described her as a "broken woman." He noted she had previously served in the army as a chef and had a clean driving record. Judge Clarke sentenced her to six years, emphasizing the seriousness of dangerous driving. Detective Constable Carl Boydell from GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit said the incident was "truly tragic and entirely avoidable."
