A driver has been found guilty of murdering headteacher Michael Mullins after hitting him as he cycled home from school in Altrincham.
Simon Richardson, 35, was convicted of murder and dangerous driving following a trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. The verdicts were returned this morning.
Mr Mullins, 56, was cycling home from Stretford Grammar School on April 20 when Richardson’s black Volvo XC90 struck him at a junction in Warburton.
The collision happened at around 6.10pm on Paddock Lane, near its junction with Warburton Lane and Dunham Road.
During the trial, the court heard that Richardson drove through give-way markings before hitting Mr Mullins, who became trapped beneath the vehicle.
He was dragged for 2.2 kilometres before being left on a grass verge in Wet Gate Lane in Lymm.
Prosecutors said Richardson knew Mr Mullins was underneath the car but continued driving.
His cousin, front-seat passenger Gabrielle Debotte, told jurors that they had heard moaning after the collision. She said Richardson later stopped in the country lane and twice got out to try to remove Mr Mullins before driving erratically.
The defence disputed her account and maintained that Richardson had not realised the cyclist was trapped beneath his car until he was dislodged. Richardson chose not to give evidence.
A witness followed a trail of blood and found Mr Mullins still breathing on the verge. Emergency services attended, but he was pronounced dead at 6.50pm, around 40 minutes after the collision.
The separate dangerous-driving charge related to a police pursuit on April 21, the day after Mr Mullins’s death. Richardson had denied that offence as well as murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.
Mr Mullins, from Weaverham in Northwich, had been headteacher at Stretford Grammar since 2009, having previously served as deputy headteacher at Sale Grammar.
The school closed for a day following his death, with deputy headteacher Liz Baxter paying tribute to his dedication and pledging that staff would continue his legacy.
In a statement released in April, his family said: “He was devoted to his family, and our lives will never be the same.”
