Jurors in the murder trial of Simon Richardson have been shown dashcam footage of the moment he allegedly fled from police on foot the day after headteacher Michael Mullins was struck by a car and dragged more than a mile to his death. According to the Messenger Newspapers, Richardson, 35, is standing trial at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court accused of murdering the 56-year-old Stretford Grammar School headteacher, who was cycling home from work on April 20 when he was hit by a black Volvo. Prosecutors allege Richardson did not stop but put his foot down, dragging Mullins along the road for 1.3 miles before leaving him to die on a grass verge in Lymm. Footage released by the Crown Prosecution Service and shown to the jury on Tuesday captures Richardson allegedly driving a silver Ford Transit van at speed before abandoning it and fleeing on foot in Failsworth, where he was later found crouched behind another van, the Messenger reports. Inspector Tom Abbott told the court the driver showed no consideration for the safety of other drivers or pedestrians. Richardson denies murder, manslaughter and dangerous driving. Earlier in the trial, witnesses described the Volvo absolutely tanking it toward the junction of Dunham Road and Warburton Lane, and a motorcyclist told the court he followed a mile-long trail of blood to find the dying headteacher, according to Brit Brief. The prosecution continues its case, with the trial now in its seventh day. A consultant in emergency medicine told the court he believed Mullins survived the initial impact, according to court reporting. The prosecution alleges Richardson knew Mullins was trapped and alive beneath the car yet kept driving, mounting a grass verge in a bid to dislodge him. The trial continues with the prosecution's case ongoing and further witnesses expected.
Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Crime