A rogue roofer who ran over a mother-of-three on a golf course during a police chase has been jailed for 13 and a half years for killing her. John McDonald, 52, admitted causing the death by dangerous driving of 62-year-old Suzanne Cherry at Aston Wood Golf Club in Shenstone, Staffordshire, on April 11 last year.
The court heard McDonald’s van reached speeds of 70mph in 30mph zones, drove on the wrong side of the road, mounted pavements and rammed a police car at least eight times during a 12-minute pursuit before turning into the golf course. Collision investigators said the van was travelling at 41mph five seconds before airbags deployed, and that a collision was inevitable. McDonald braked four and a half seconds before impact, but Ms Cherry came into view five seconds earlier.
McDonald and his passengers, including his son Johnny McDonald, 23, and Brett Delaney, 35, fled the scene, with the driver stepping over Ms Cherry’s body. All three also admitted conspiracy to commit fraud relating to substandard roofing work carried out through Approved Roofs Ltd, targeting elderly victims. The court heard tens of thousands of pounds were obtained from elderly customers for poor and unnecessary work.
Sentencing, Judge James Burbidge KC said the three men pursued criminal ambitions to defraud vulnerable victims and sought to escape punishment when spotted by police. He told McDonald: “You drove the van onto that golf course … and drove into the unsuspecting Suzanne Cherry, such that she was killed from the terrible injuries your driving inflicted upon her.”
John McDonald was sentenced to 13 and a half years for causing death by dangerous driving, with a concurrent 48-month sentence for fraud. Johnny McDonald received 32 months and Delaney 28 months for fraud. The judge noted the pursuing police officer was considering leaving the force due to the incident.
