Terrence King, 45, has been found guilty of murder after deliberately driving his car into 15-year-old Devon Simmonds-Caines on a residential street in Middleton, Greater Manchester. The incident occurred on a quiet Tuesday afternoon in Langley, where King, driving almost twice the speed limit, veered his vehicle into the teenager riding an e-bike.
Footage too harrowing for the killer to watch
The CCTV footage captured the horrifying moment King’s car struck Devon, throwing him and his bike through the air. Despite repeated requests from police and prosecutors, King refused to watch the footage. During his trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, prosecutor Michael Hayton KC challenged him, saying, “It’s clear on CCTV, you can see what you did, if you have the courage to watch it. Will you watch it with us?” King replied, “No.”
In a police interview, King acknowledged the gravity of his actions, stating, “I feel a bit strange in this interview, because it's an absolutely life changing thing that has happened for everybody. A 15-year-old boy had died. It’s indefensible, whatever the circumstances he died.”
Previous convictions and health issues
King had a criminal record for dishonesty offences in his youth, serving time in borstal and prison. He later turned his life around, working as a car cleaner and then for the probation service as an offender resettlement worker. However, he was forced to quit work at age 45 due to Ménière’s syndrome, a condition causing dizziness and imbalance, and anxiety after being attacked with a knife while working in 2008.
Trial details and victim impact
Devon and another youth had stolen the e-bike Devon was riding. King claimed he intended only to block the bike, but the jury rejected this defense. A previous trial ended with a hung jury, and King admitted manslaughter, but prosecutors pursued a murder charge. The family described Devon as “an outgoing, bubbly person who always kept himself motivated” and expressed their grief.
Sentencing pending
King, of Castlerigg Drive, Middleton, is due to be sentenced on Thursday, July 23. The court has yet to determine the length of his prison term.
