Simon Richardson Convicted of Murdering Head Teacher Dragged 1 Mile Under Volvo

Q: What evidence convinced jurors that Simon Richardson knew Michael Mullins was trapped beneath his car and still drove on?

Jurors were persuaded by evidence that Richardson was aware almost immediately that Michael Mullins was under the Volvo and still chose to drive on. The clearest evidence came from the front-seat passenger, Gabrielle Debotte. She told the court that after the collision both she and Richardson heard “moaning” and other noises from beneath the car, and that Richardson said, “He’s under the car.” She also said he began swerving because he could hear the noise underneath the vehicle. Her account was backed by what happened next. Prosecutors said Richardson did not simply drive away in ignorance: he stopped about 1.3 miles later in Wet Gate Lane, got out, went to the front passenger side, crouched down and tried twice to pull Mullins free. That, the prosecution argued, showed direct knowledge that a person was trapped under the car. The jury also heard CCTV and witness evidence that after failing to free him by hand, Richardson drove the Volvo sharply from side to side and mounted a grass verge to dislodge Mullins, then reversed over him and drove away. Prosecutors said those deliberate actions were incompatible with his claim that he did not know anyone was trapped. Medical evidence also mattered. The prosecution said Mullins died from “dragging and crushing” injuries rather than the initial impact alone, reinforcing the case that Richardson knowingly continued driving while Mullins remained underneath.

Q: How did a head teacher’s ride home end in a murder conviction after prosecutors said the driver tried twice to free him?

It ended in a murder conviction because prosecutors persuaded the jury that Simon Richardson did not simply cause a fatal crash: he knew Michael Mullins was trapped under his Volvo and deliberately kept driving to avoid the consequences. The court heard Richardson drove through give-way markings in Warburton on 20 April and hit Mullins, the 56-year-old head teacher of Stretford Grammar School, as he cycled home. Evidence showed Mullins became lodged beneath the Volvo XC90. Prosecutors said Richardson then fled the scene, despite signs that the cyclist was still under the vehicle. A key part of the prosecution case was that Richardson stopped about 1.3 miles away in a country lane and tried twice to pull Mullins free. Rather than helping him, prosecutors said, those attempts showed he knew exactly what had happened. A passenger, Richardson’s cousin, told jurors they heard “moaning” and that Richardson said: “He is under the car.” When he could not free Mullins, Richardson drove on again. The jury heard he swerved, mounted a verge to dislodge him, and then reversed over him, causing crushing chest injuries. Prosecutors said Mullins died from dragging and crushing injuries, not just the initial impact. Richardson denied knowing Mullins was trapped, but jurors rejected that account and found him guilty of murder and dangerous driving. He is due to be sentenced, with the judge saying life imprisonment is mandatory for murder.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 30

A Manchester jury found 35-year-old Simon Richardson guilty of murdering 56-year-old head teacher Michael Mullins, who died after being trapped beneath Richardson’s Volvo XC90 and dragged for more than a mile.
Prosecutors said Richardson hit Mullins as he cycled home on 20 April, heard he was under the car, then drove on to avoid the consequences instead of stopping to help.
Jurors heard Richardson later stopped in a country lane, tried twice to dislodge Mullins, mounted a grass verge and then reversed over him, causing crushing chest injuries; he was also convicted of dangerous driving.
Mrs Justice Brunner told Richardson the only sentence for murder is life imprisonment, with sentencing set for Monday at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
Mullins’ family called the Stretford Grammar School head teacher of 17 years “our everything,” while courtroom reactions included shouts of “Yes!” and tears after the verdict.