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Man who ran over cyclist and dragged him under car for a mile convicted of murder

Read the original at The Guardian ↗
Cite

Press Association. (2026, October 30). Man who ran over cyclist and dragged him under car for a mile convicted of murder. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/30/cyclist-murder-manchester-simon-richardson-michael-mullins

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Guardian · collected 2026-10-30 · by Press Association

Quick Summary

Michael Mullins, a 56-year-old headteacher, died after being hit by a Volvo XC90 driven by Simon Richardson in Altrincham, Greater Manchester. After the collision on April 20, Richardson drove for over a mile with Mullins trapped under his car before attempting to dislodge him at another location. Despite claiming he did not realize Mullins was underneath his vehicle, Richardson was found guilty of murder and faces sentencing soon; he also received an immediate conviction for dangerous driving from the previous day's police pursuit.
Written by AI on 2026-10-30, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Simon Richardson, 35, has been found guilty of murdering Michael Mullins, a 56-year-old head teacher from Stretford Grammar School in Greater Manchester. The incident occurred on April 20 when Richardson crashed into Mullins while he was cycling home and then dragged him under his car for over a mile before stopping to fill up with petrol. Prosecutors claimed that Richardson, who had just been released from prison, fled the scene after hitting Mullins and continued driving despite knowing the cyclist was trapped underneath his vehicle. The court heard that Richardson drove through "give way" markings at a junction in Warburton, Greater Manchester, before colliding with Mullins. Witnesses reported seeing a trail of blood leading to where Mullins was found on a grass verge in Lymm, Cheshire. Judge Mrs Justice Brunner told Richardson there is only one sentence for murder: life imprisonment.

Written for “Driver Dragged Teacher To Death Convicted” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 117228 · logged 2026-10-30

Story

📰 Driver Dragged Teacher To Death Convicted
Crime & Law · 3 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 8% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
BBC News
Hedges 1 of 12 claims Outlet record 69/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
26
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 26 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-30 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Guardian · 2714 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Press Association
28 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Phil Barnes KC told jurors: “Simon Richardson knew he was there and he inevitably knew what the consequences of driving on would be, and he did it anyway.
🔮 “We would never confirm details of ongoing inquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
🔮 In a statement posted to social media, Sir Ian said: “You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. “Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues.
🔮 In a statement posted to social media, Sir Ian said: “You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt.
🔮 He will be deeply missed.”
🔮 A long-time campaigner for the Labour Party, he was willing to lend his name to causes such as medicinal cannabis and the Remain campaign in the Brexit referendum while his support of Huddersfield Town and role as chancellor of the town’s university kept him in touch with his roots.
🔮 Brand said he blamed the media for his downfall after being the focus of reporting on sexual misconduct claims, and told Southwark crown court he had been unable to find any friends or former colleagues willing to give evidence in his defence as the trial approached.
🔮 He said he will use his first autumn statement as Chancellor to cut energy bills “for good,” and signalled he will look into removing the fixed daily fees on electricity as well.
🔮 Standing charges on gas bills will be scrapped from next year for around 23 million homes, the Treasury has announced.
🔮 Standing charges on gas bills will be scrapped from next year for around 23 million homes, the Treasury has announced.
Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by Press Association
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 28 articles by Press Association →

Topics

Altrincham Greater Manchester Manchester Volvo XC90

Subjects

Richardson PERSON · 8× Mullins PERSON · 7× Simon Richardson PERSON · 3× Altrincham GPE · 1× Greater Manchester GPE · 1× Manchester GPE · 1× Michael Mullins PERSON · 1× Phil Barnes KC PERSON · 1× Volvo ORG · 1× Warburton GPE · 1×

Narrative

Richardson, 35, drove straight through give-way markers at a junction in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, and into the path of Mullins, who fell on to his bonnet and windscreen before he went under the car.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-30
🔮 Phil Barnes KC told jurors: “Simon Richardson knew he was there and he inevitably knew what the consequences of driving on would be, and he did it anyway.

Claims (26 extracted, 2 hedged)

A motorist who mowed down a cyclist and dragged him under his car for more than a mile has been found guilty of murder. asserted
who → mow → murder
Headteacher Michael Mullins, 56, was travelling home from Stretford grammar school in Manchester in the early evening of 20 April this year when he was struck by a Volvo XC90 driven by Simon Richardson. asserted
he → travel → Richardson
Richardson, 35, drove straight through give-way markers at a junction in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, and into the path of Mullins, who fell on to his bonnet and windscreen before he went under the car. asserted
he → drive → car
The father of two became entangled in the suspension of the 4×4 vehicle as Richardson drove on, Manchester Minshull Street crown court heard. asserted
court → become → vehicle
Prosecutors said the defendant was aware the trapped cyclist was inches below his feet shortly after the collision in Warburton. asserted
cyclist → say → Warburton
Phil Barnes KC told jurors: “Simon Richardson knew he was there and he inevitably knew what the consequences of driving on would be, and he did it anyway. asserted
he → tell → it
For a split second after the collision, for a brief moment he possibly thought about doing the right thing and getting out and taking ownership of what he had just done and help the man he had just run down. uncertain
he → think → man
“But Simon Richardson did not get out. asserted
Richardson → get → ?
He did not do the right thing. asserted
He → do → thing
He chose to drive away. asserted
He → choose → ?
The obvious reason is because he wanted to escape the consequences of what he had just done.” asserted
he → want → what
Richardson’s front seat passenger, his cousin Gabrielle Debotte, told the trial that both heard “moaning” from outside as he drove away from the scene. asserted
he → tell → scene
Giving evidence for the prosecution she said Richardson went on to say: “He’s under the car.” asserted
He → give → car
The prosecution said Richardson drove to a secluded farm track in Wet Gate Lane, Lymm, 1.3 miles away, in an attempt to dislodge Mullins. asserted
Richardson → say → Mullins
He twice attempted to pull Mullins out before he returned to the car and veered sharply and deliberately from side to side before he mounted a grass verge. asserted
he → attempt → verge
His victim was finally released, but he was driven over as Richardson reversed and drove away. asserted
Richardson → release → ?
A motorcyclist followed a trail of blood from Paddock Lane and discovered Mullins alone and barely breathing on the grass verge, the court heard. asserted
court → follow → verge
Emergency services attended but were unable to save Mullins, from Northwich in Cheshire, who died from multiple injuries. Richardson was arrested the next day after a police vehicle pursuit. asserted
Richardson → attend → pursuit
He denied murder as he claimed he did not realise Mullins was underneath his car and said he did not get out of his vehicle to try to free him. asserted
he → deny → him
Jurors were sent out to consider their verdicts on Wednesday and returned at about 11.45am on Friday. asserted
Jurors → send → Friday
Family members in the public gallery were in tears after the verdicts were returned. asserted
verdicts → return → tears
Richardson, of no fixed address, was found guilty of a separate allegation of dangerous driving, on 21 April after the police pursuit. asserted
Richardson → fix → pursuit
He will be sentenced on Monday. asserted
He → sentence → Monday
Mrs Justice Brunner KC discharged the jurors from taking jury service again for 10 years and told them: “This was, I know, an upsetting case and there was evidence which you may have found distressing.” uncertain
you → discharge → them
Mullins’s family said: “He was devoted to his family and our lives will never be the same. asserted
lives → say → family
A gap has been left in our hearts and within his role as a headteacher of Stretford grammar school.” asserted
gap → leave → school
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