A driver was seen leaning against his dented car while filling it up with petrol - shortly after allegedly crashing into a headteacher and dragging him to his death.
uncertain
driver → see → death
Simon Richardson, 35, is accused of the murder of headteacher Michael Mullins, 56, as he pedalled home from work at Stretford Grammar School on April 20.
asserted
he → accuse → April
He is said to have driven at speed through give way markers at a junction in Warburton, Altrincham, and into the path of Mr Mullins, who was dragged underneath his Volvo XC90 for 1.3 miles.
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who → say → miles
Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court watched the petrol station's CCTV yesterday, showing Richardson filling up his Volvo as he leans against the car with his hood up and stares blankly at the pump.
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he → watch → pump
He is then seen covering his face by pulling his hood down as he passes the security cameras.
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he → see → cameras
The CPS also released an image of Richardson allegedly seen driving the Volvo just moments after he had crashed into Mr Mullins.
uncertain
he → release → Mullins
Simon Richardson was caught on CCTV filling up a tank of petrol shortly after hitting and killing headteacher Michael Mullins
Richardson, 35, is accused of the murder of headteacher Mr Mullins (pictured), 56, as he pedalled home from work at Stretford Grammar School on April 20
A dent in the front right side of the bonnet is visible and Richardson's driver's seat window also appears to be fully down.
Prosecutors accuse Richardson of murder because they say he knew married father-of-two Mr Mullins was beneath the wheels of his vehicle but drove on anyway.
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Mullins → catch → vehicle
It is alleged he later travelled to a country lane in Lymm, Cheshire, and 'veered sharply and deliberately from side to side' before he mounted a grass verge and drove over Mr Mullins, who was finally dislodged.
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who → allege → Mullins
Mr Mullins, from Northwich, Cheshire, was found still breathing in Wet Gate Lane – 2.2km from the collision in Paddock Lane – but was pronounced dead at the scene at 6.50pm, about 40 minutes after he was knocked off his bike.
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he → find → bike
Jurors heard evidence from witness Andrew Besant-Roberts, who discovered Mr Mullins lying on the side of a grass verge in Lymm, Cheshire.
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Mullins → hear → Lymm
He told the court: 'I very quickly noticed a strange trail on the road.
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I → tell → road
I didn't know what it was initially, but I thought it was suspicious.
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it → know → ?
As I followed the trail, it suddenly occurred to me that it was blood.'
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it → follow → me
An image of the Volvo moments after the crash showed Richardson behind the wheel, with the driver's window fully down
Mr Mullins, pictured with his children as a younger man, was treated by paramedics but declared dead at the roadside 40 minutes after the collision, jurors were told
He continued: 'I noticed the trail started to weave from left to right - this continued for a couple of hundred yards.
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this → show → yards
Then I saw a cyclist on a grass verge who appeared to be in a position similar to the recovery position.
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who → see → position
He was laid on his side unconscious but I could see he was still breathing.'
uncertain
he → lay → side
Mr Besant-Roberts said he called 999 but Mr Mullins started to 'deteriorate', and despite carrying out chest compressions and a paramedic arriving shortly after, Mr Mullins was declared dead at the scene at 6.50pm.
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Mullins → say → 6.50pm
On Wednesday, Gabrielle Debotte, 27, Richardson's cousin who was travelling in the front passenger seat of the car, told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court how the incident left her 'shocked' and 'scared'.
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incident → travel → her
In the moments prior to the collision, Richardson had driven at 'quite a speed', she said.
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she → drive → speed
She added: 'I did say he needed to slow down and he smirked and said 'I'm a professional driver'.'
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I → add → ?
She said the Volvo had approached a junction and she shouted 'bike' three times because she noticed Richardson 'wasn't stopping'.
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Richardson → say → bike
Alleged murderer Richardson was caught on camera overtaking a car before he is said to have hit Mr Mullins and dragged him under his vehicle.
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he → allege → vehicle
Footage of the moments before the crash were previously released
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Footage → release → crash
On Tuesday, jurors watched dashcam footage of a police pursuit of the defendant driving a silver Ford Transit van in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, on April 21
Richardson failed to slow down, she said, before crashing into Mr Mullins' bike, whom she knew had gone underneath the vehicle because he 'wasn't in the road'.
Ms Debotte said Richardson had only stopped for a 'split second' before driving off and she'd told him to get out because 'it was the right thing to do'.
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it → watch → him
She said Richardson drove off in an 'erratic' manner with the driver's window down, swerving the car side to side because he could hear noises from underneath the Volvo.
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he → say → Volvo
When she heard the 'moaning' sounds, she said she told him: 'He's under the car.'
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He → hear → car
Ms Debotte said she also told Richardson to stop the car but he said nothing and drove on.
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he → say → nothing
Jurors also heard evidence from a consultant in emergency medicine, Dr Terrence McGloughlin, on Wednesday, who was asked if Michael would have survived the initial impact of the collision.
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Michael → hear → collision
Richardson fled police during a pursuit the following day (pictured)
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Richardson → flee → pursuit
Dr McGloughlin told the court: 'My understanding from the evidence is that he survived the initial impact.'
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he → tell → impact
The court also heard about evidence from an Apple watch worn by Mr Mullins, which showed that his heart was still recorded at the moment that he was released by the car.
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he → hear → car
Dr McGloughlin said the Apple watch evidence 'supports that he was still physiologically alive', but said he was 'unable to say' whether Mr Mullins was unconscious or conscious while being dragged beneath the car.
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Mullins → say → car
The jury previously heard how Richardson did stop in a nearby country lane for around 90 seconds and attempted in vain to pull Mr Mullins free.
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Richardson → hear → Mullins
He then got back in the driver's seat and drove on again before 'veering' the car side to side and mounting a grass verge near a farm, where Mr Mullins was finally dislodged.
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Mullins → get → farm
Ms Debotte described Richardson 'struggling' to free the headteacher as she watched from inside the Volvo, which included moving the car's steering wheel.
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which → describe → wheel
Asked by Phil Barnes KC, prosecuting, how she felt at the time, she replied: 'Shocked, scared.
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she → ask → time
I've never seen anything like that in my life.
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I → see → life
'I still have visions of it.'
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I → have → it
She realised Mr Mullins had eventually been freed from underneath the Volvo when she saw him lying in the road.
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him → realise → road
'From what I can remember, he was just lying there and his arm was moving slightly,' she told the jury.
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she → remember → jury
…and 24 more, not listed.
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