Personal trainer Megan Murphy, 26, repeatedly drove over a man lying in the street before branding him a 'smackhead' and now faces sentencing at Bolton Crown Court. The incident occurred on January 9 last year in Marsh Green, Wigan, when Murphy failed to properly clear ice from her windscreen and travelled the wrong way along a one-way street.
Collision and Aftermath
Darryl Tomlinson, 31, had fallen to the ground after a night out with friends. Murphy's vehicle struck him, then she reversed and ran him over a second time. Moments later, she claimed 'I didn't see him', before admitting to an acquaintance that she had just 'reversed over him'. The court was told she referred to Mr Tomlinson as a 'smackhead' while he remained trapped beneath her vehicle, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Local residents dialled 999 upon discovering Mr Tomlinson, yet 'in an awful twist of fate', neither officers nor ambulance crews 'could find the patient and never attended the scene'. He died in the street.
Court Proceedings
Murphy, currently residing on Lord Street, Ince, stood before Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday (June 23) for sentencing, having previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving. Her sentence will be handed down on Wednesday (June 24).
Presenting the case details, Rob Hall explained that at the time of the incident, Murphy was living on Kitt Green Road, Marsh Green. She had developed a 'habit' of reversing from an access lane before travelling the wrong way along one-way Pembroke Road and turning onto Kitt Green Lane. Neighbours had witnessed her performing this manoeuvre on numerous occasions throughout the year. 'It would seem she ignored the rules of the road to save herself time by avoiding driving around the housing estate,' Mr Hall said.
Victim's Final Hours
The evening prior to the early morning incident, Mr Tomlinson had been at a mate's house for drinks while watching football. He departed with a companion, visited another person's flat, then took a taxi to a petrol station to purchase more alcohol. They made their way back to the Kitt Green Road flat, situated close to Mr Tomlinson's residence on Comet Road, where they carried on drinking. The court was told that a Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice had been issued from 3am on January 9.
Mr Tomlinson, described as intoxicated and having been 'likely to have taken cocaine and cannabis', departed his friend's flat. 'Mr Tomlinson was able to use the toilet and walk down the stairs unaided, so his friends thought nothing of his ability to get himself from the flat to his home, a walk of 500 metres,' Mr Hall said.
Emergency Response Failure
CCTV footage captured him staggering. Mr Tomlinson collapsed outside a property on Pembroke Road at approximately 3.19am. He was positioned 'relatively central' in the road, dressed in a black jacket with a fluffy hood and black trousers. Mr Tomlinson made two phone calls to mates, leaving one a voicemail requesting assistance. His friend characterised him as 'very drunk, slurring his words' and said he 'did not know where he was'.
At approximately 4.40am, a neighbour ventured outside to defrost his vehicle. He encountered Mr Tomlinson, who appeared 'incoherent' and 'unresponsive'. His partner dialled for an ambulance at 5.05am. 'In an awful twist of fate, the North West Ambulance Service had notified Greater Manchester Police, and neither of the two agencies could find the patient and never attended the scene,' Mr Hall said. An independent inquiry into the emergency services' response remains underway. Mr Hall said: 'It would appear the provided address wasn't properly recorded and so the address provided to both agencies was incorrect. They attended at the wrong address and couldn't find the right address.'
Murphy's Actions
The brother-in-law of the woman who requested an ambulance positioned his taxi to block the southern end of the street, before Murphy emerged from her property. She was observed making a brief attempt to clear her windscreen for mere seconds at 5.44am. 'It was woefully inadequate,' Mr Hall added. 'When she reversed, she had practically no outward visibility from the driver's seat.'
At 5.48am, she manoeuvred onto Pembroke Road, her Citroen DS3 headlamps lighting up Mr Tomlinson lying in the carriageway. CCTV footage then captured her driving forward, pausing briefly in front of Mr Tomlinson before running over him. She subsequently reversed over his body, before driving over him once more. Witnesses were 'waving their arms and shouting' while the nearby taxi driver sounded his horn. As they rang 999, Murphy could be heard in the background saying: 'I didn't see him.'
'Sadly, Megan Murphy decided to deliberately lie to avoid responsibility for what she had done,' Mr Hall added. 'In the 999 call that followed, she said she was leaving to drive the correct way on Pembroke Road. Three minutes after the collision, she walked away to make a phone call to a friend in which she claimed she had reversed over him - which was clearly not correct - and called him a smackhead.'
A friend urged her to ensure she'd defrosted her windscreen properly or she'd 'get f***ed' as he was 'already on the floor in the way and because he is a crackhead'. Murphy was then spotted trying to adequately defrost her windscreen. A forensics expert concluded visibility remained poor despite her efforts.
Victim Impact Statements
Mr Tomlinson was declared dead at the scene. A post mortem examination revealed he'd sustained multiple bruises and abrasions across his body. In a statement read to the court, Mr Tomlinson's mum Michelle said: 'He would do anything for anybody. He loved football from being able to walk. From playing it to watching it, he knew everything about the game. Since the day I lost my son, it changed all our lives. It was the worst day of my life. Whilst Darryl was in the road, Megan Murphy decided to get in her car and not defrost it properly. I really don't feel anything anymore since losing Darryl. If Megan Murphy had seen him or if the ambulance had done their job properly, then Darryl would still be here. I do feel the ambulance contributed to his death, but Megan Murphy was the one who took his life.'
Paul Tomlinson, known as 'Tommy', Mr Tomlinson's father, said: 'I have had many sleepless nights thinking about what he suffered. I wake up having these nightmares and feel like giving up on life. Sixteen months on, and my emotions are still the same as they were on that day. Nothing can make me understand why he wasn't safe. I hold the ambulance service accountable for not finding him - but I hold the girl accountable for taking his life. He was not only my son but my working colleague and friend - I think about him every single day. The day I lost Darryl was the day I lost half of me.'
Mr Tomlinson's brother, Lee, said: 'Darryl was not just my brother, he was my best friend, my idol and my biggest support. Since my brother was taken from me, I feel like he's taken a piece of me with him. [Murphy] has shown me and everyone else what type of character she is, whereas my brother was nothing of the sort.'
Next Steps
Proceedings were postponed until Wednesday (June 24), when Murphy's barrister John Dove will present mitigation arguments. Judge Nicholas Clarke KC will subsequently pass sentence. The Manchester Evening News contacted the North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Police for a statement.
