A 35-year-old man has been jailed for life for the murder of much-loved headteacher Michael Mullins, whose death at Lymm, after being dragged along for more than a mile under a car, shocked the school community he had led for 17 years.
Simon Richardson was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court yesterday, Monday (November 2) after being found guilty of murder following a trial lasting two weeks.
He was ordered to serve a minimum of 25 years behind bars and was also banned from driving for life.
The court heard how Mr Mullins, aged 56, a father-of-two from Northwich, was cycling home from Stretford Grammar School on the evening of April 20 when he was struck by a Volvo XC90 driven by Richardson.
Richardson had failed to give way at a junction in the Warburton area before hitting the cyclist.
Rather than stopping to help, he drove on with Mr Mullins trapped beneath the vehicle, dragging him for approximately 1.3 miles to a secluded farm track off Wet Gate Lane, Lymm.
Prosecutors told the court that Richardson knew Mr Mullins was trapped beneath the vehicle. After twice attempting to pull him free, he deliberately swerved from side to side in an attempt to dislodge him.
When Mr Mullins eventually came free, Richardson drove over him while reversing before fleeing the scene.
A motorcyclist who followed a trail of blood found Mr Mullins on a grass verge and raised the alarm. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he could not be saved.
Sentencing Richardson, Mrs Justice Brunner KC condemned his actions, saying he had shown an “astonishing degree of disregard for human life”.
She told him that he had decided escaping from the scene of an accident was more important than a human life.
Richardson denied murder throughout the trial but was convicted by a jury on Friday, October 30. He was also convicted of a separate dangerous driving offence linked to events surrounding his arrest.
Family left devastated
The sentencing hearing heard deeply moving statements from Mr Mullins’s wife and children, who described the devastating impact of losing a husband and father who had been at the heart of their lives.
His wife, Sarah Mullins, spoke of how their past, present and future had been brutally torn apart by his death.
She described her husband as her “anchor”, saying the family remained completely bereft without him.
She also spoke of the lasting trauma caused by the violent circumstances of his death.
Mr Mullins’s son told the court that his father had wanted to make the world a better place, while his daughter spoke of the countless milestones and family occasions he would now never be able to share.
His family had attended court throughout the trial, listening as details of his final journey home were laid bare.
Family man Michael Mullins, Picture supplied by family
Elizabeth Baxter, acting headteacher at Stretford Grammar School, paid tribute to the man who had led the school for 17 years.
She described Mr Mullins as an inspirational leader driven by a determination to improve pupils’ life chances through education.
Recalling the everyday moments that had made him so popular, she spoke of how he would stand at the school gates in the morning, discuss Liverpool football results with pupils, encourage them to hurry along with his familiar catchphrase and hand out biscuits on Fridays.
Staff had also lost a trusted colleague who was always available for a conversation, advice or a comforting word.
Mrs Baxter said his impact on the school’s pupils, staff, governors and parents was immeasurable.
She added: “We will never forget him; we will remember and honour him as he was, our beloved Headteacher, colleague and dear friend.”
Police praise family’s courage
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Louise Edwards said there had been an outpouring of support following the guilty verdict, including messages from former pupils who had since become police officers.
She said Richardson would face many years behind bars but would have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life.
DCI Edwards said the decisions he made had torn a loving grandfather, husband, father, friend and colleague away from the world.
She praised Mr Mullins’s family for their courage in attending court and hearing the details of what happened to their loved one.
She also thanked those who had stopped to help and searched for Mr Mullins after discovering the trail left by the vehicle.
While the criminal proceedings have now concluded, the impact of his death will remain with his family, friends, colleagues and the generations of pupils whose lives he helped shape.
For the Stretford Grammar School community, the legacy of a headteacher who devoted 17 years to improving young people’s futures will endure long after the man responsible for his death begins his life sentence.
Michael Mullins _ Photo supplied by family
