Neil Jones, 48, of Morningside Road in Norris Green, has been jailed for 51 months after admitting causing the death of grandmother Linda Donnelly by careless driving and a subsequent road rage incident.
Fatal Crash in Bootle
Linda Donnelly, 72, known as Lin, was crossing Brewster Street in Bootle, Merseyside, at around 7.45pm on December 12, 2024, when she was struck by Jones' Ford Focus. CCTV showed she reached the central reservation and continued into the second carriageway, being in the road for roughly four seconds before impact. Jones was driving at approximately 45mph (between 39 and 51mph) in a 30mph zone.
In the aftermath, Jones told witnesses: "I hit her, I hit her. It was an accident." He appeared upset at the scene, pacing and saying "oh my God, oh my God." To police, he claimed the woman "just ran out in front of his car" and that it was "really dark." However, prosecutor Zahra Baqri told Liverpool Crown Court that footage clearly showed Mrs Donnelly did not run into the road. She died at Aintree Hospital from multiple injuries.
Road Rage at Cheshire Oaks
Just over a year later, on December 23, 2025, at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet in Ellesmere Port, Jones drove his car at speed towards retired police officer Martin Alwyn, who was with his two adult sons and grandchildren, aged five and nine. Jones narrowly missed Alwyn's son by inches and made no effort to slow down.
When the family threw soft toys at his car, Jones slammed on brakes, parked in a disabled bay, and approached aggressively. He shouted threats including "I'll f***ing kick your head in" and pushed Alwyn before throwing punches. He later retrieved a claw hammer from his boot and swung it at witnesses, though it did not make contact. As security surrounded his car, Jones reversed, colliding with another vehicle and trapping Jonathan Adamson between the two cars, causing him to scream in pain. Jones reversed again, pinning Adamson a second time, then drove off.
Sentencing and Background
Jones pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, dangerous driving, making threats with an offensive weapon, and two counts of assault. He had 23 previous convictions for 34 offences, including five speeding offences between 2022 and 2024, and suspended sentences for assaults. He surrendered his driving licence after the Cheshire Oaks incident.
Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC stated: "The careless driving... was that you exceeded the speed limit by about 50%. But for your driving, there is every reason to suppose that she would be alive today." He noted Jones' remorse as genuine but highlighted his bad antecedents and the similar nature of the later offence. Jones was also banned from driving for 51 months and ordered to pass an extended retest, with restraining orders for seven years preventing contact with Mrs Donnelly's family and his victims.
