Personal trainer Megan Murphy, 26, ran over Darryl Tomlinson, 31, twice after he collapsed in the road, then referred to him as a 'smackhead' while he lay trapped beneath her vehicle. She admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Bolton Crown Court on Tuesday, June 23, and is due to be sentenced on Wednesday, June 24.
Details of the Incident
The incident occurred in the early hours of January 9 last year on Pembroke Road, Marsh Green, Wigan. Murphy had failed to properly defrost her windscreen before driving the wrong way along a one-way street near her previous address on Kitt Green Road. Prosecutor Rob Hall told the court that Murphy had a habit of reversing out of an access lane and driving the wrong way down one-way Pembroke Road to save time, a manoeuvre she had been seen performing repeatedly over the course of a year.
Mr Tomlinson, who lived nearby on Comet Road, had been drinking with friends the night before and was seen on CCTV stumbling and collapsing in the road at around 3.19am. He made two calls to friends, leaving a voicemail asking for help, but was unable to describe his location. A neighbour found him incoherent and unresponsive at around 4.40am, and his partner called for an ambulance at 5.05am.
Fatal Collision
At 5.48am, Murphy drove onto Pembroke Road, her headlights illuminating Mr Tomlinson in the road. CCTV footage shows she drove forward, stopped momentarily in front of him, then drove over him. She reversed over his body and drove over him again. Witnesses were waving their arms and shouting, and a taxi driver was sounding his horn. In a 999 call, Murphy said, 'I didn't see him.' Three minutes later, she called a friend and claimed she had reversed over him, calling him a 'smackhead'.
Mr Hall said: 'Sadly, Megan Murphy decided to deliberately lie to avoid responsibility for what she had done.' He added that she had 'woefully inadequate' visibility due to her failure to properly defrost her windscreen.
Emergency Services Response
Despite neighbours calling 999, neither police nor paramedics attended the scene because the address was incorrectly recorded. Mr Hall stated: '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.' A separate investigation into the actions of the emergency services is ongoing.
Mr Tomlinson's mother, Michelle, said in a victim impact statement: 'While Darryl was in the road, Megan Murphy decided to get in her car and not defrost it properly. If Megan Murphy had seen him or if the ambulance had done their job properly, then Darryl would still be here.' His father, Paul, added: 'I hold the ambulance service accountable for not finding him - but I hold the girl accountable for taking his life.'
Sentencing
The case was adjourned for mitigation from Murphy's barrister, John Dove, with sentencing to take place on Wednesday, June 24, before Judge Nicholas Clarke KC. The North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Police were approached for comment.
