THE family of Michael Mullins, a beloved husband, father, teacher, headteacher and friend have paid tribute to him after a man was found guilty of his murder at Lymm as he cycled home from work.
Michael Mullins has been described as ‘an anchor’, ‘the perfect dad’ and ‘our everything’ by his family.
Mr Mullins, 56, was cycling home from Stretford Grammar School on April 20 when he was struck by a Volvo driven by Simon Richardson.
Richardson, 35, was found guilty of murder at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today (Friday), following a two-week trial. He was also convicted of dangerous driving in a separate incident involving a police pursuit the following day.
The verdict brings a significant development in a case which has had a direct connection to Lymm, where Mr Mullins was found critically injured on Wet Gate Lane after being dragged beneath the vehicle from the scene of the original collision in the Altrincham area.
But behind the disturbing details of the case is the devastating loss of a devoted husband, father, grandfather, teacher and headteacher whose family say their lives have been changed forever.
In deeply moving tributes following the verdict, his wife described him as their “anchor”, while his son remembered a father who never missed an opportunity to support him. His daughter said he would “always be our everything”.
The court heard that Mr Mullins was cycling home from his job at Stretford Grammar School, where he had been headteacher for 17 years, when Richardson drove through a junction in Warburton and collided with him.
Rather than stopping and seeking help, Richardson continued driving with Mr Mullins trapped beneath his Volvo XC90.
Prosecutors said he travelled approximately 2.2 kilometres, or 1.3 miles, towards Lymm, despite knowing the cyclist was underneath the vehicle.
During the journey, Richardson stopped and attempted to pull Mr Mullins free. When he failed to do so, he got back into the vehicle and continued driving.
The court heard that Richardson then drove along Wet Gate Lane, where he swerved from side to side and mounted a grass verge in an attempt to dislodge Mr Mullins.
Mr Mullins was eventually freed from beneath the vehicle but was run over as Richardson reversed and drove away.
Rihardson denied murder throughout the trial, claiming he did not realise Mr Mullins was underneath his car.
The jury rejected his defence and found him guilty.
Guilty – Simon Richardson
Wife speaks of life ‘brutally and callously torn apart
Paying tribute to her husband, Mr Mullins’ wife described the devastating impact of losing the man who had been at the centre of her life.
She said: “My past, present and future have been brutally and callously torn apart. My memories of being with Michael through the rough and the smooth are now permanently tainted with sadness.
“Michael is irreplaceable to family, friends and the school. There is no one quite like him with his myriad of unique qualities that combined to make him mean so much to so many people.
“I am, we are, completely bereft and adrift without our anchor, Michael Mullins.”
His son remembered a father who was always there, whether supporting him on the touchline at rugby matches or encouraging him through adulthood.
He said: “He was the type of Dad that would show up to everything. He would drive me to every rugby game on a Sunday and was always there to cheer me on from the sidelines, with the same sentiment continuing into my adult life where he would constantly remind me of how proud he was of me.
“Our last exchange of words together before he dropped me at the station was him reminding me of how proud he was of me.”
Mr Mullins’ daughter spoke of her father’s love of music, his efforts to learn the guitar and the simple family moments which now mean so much.
She recalled how he would collect the family from the airport after holidays so he could hear their stories first-hand, and how he would offer to pick her and her friends up from concerts to make sure they got home safely.
She said: “I made a promise in those first days that I would live the rest of my life for my dad and give myself the life he had started to see me grow into and wanted for me.
“I am here telling you all that my Dad was and always will be our everything.”
Michael Mullins _ Photo supplied by family
Police pay tribute to family and those who tried to help
Detective Chief Inspector Louise Edwards, the senior investigating officer, praised the courage shown by Mr Mullins’ family throughout the investigation and trial.
She said they had been forced to listen to the circumstances surrounding the death of someone they loved, describing their experience as unimaginable.
She added: “Whilst this trial was to convict Richardson of his horrific crimes, we cannot and will not forget Michael.
“A man who was known for his kind, caring and considerate nature. A man who was simply cycling home from the job he had loved for 17 years – a route he had cycled many times before.”
DCI Edwards said Richardson had chosen to take Mr Mullins’ life in circumstances she described as among the most horrific she had seen.
She also paid tribute to the people who stopped to try to help Mr Mullins on that April evening.
Their efforts to locate him and provide assistance during his final moments, she said, had given his family a small measure of comfort amid their grief.
Investigators had examined hours of CCTV footage and taken numerous witness statements to build the case against Richardson, while family liaison officers provided support to Mr Mullins’ relatives.
DCI Edwards said: “Finally, I’d like you all to remember Michael. Do not remember the offender who has been found guilty of his murder.
“Remember Michael – beloved in his community, his school, by his family and friends – a man who should have come home safe and sound to his family but will be remembered forever in the legacy he has left behind.”
Mr Mullins had led Stretford Grammar School for 17 years and was remembered by the school community as a compassionate leader who was committed to helping every pupil reach their potential.
His death left staff, pupils and families grieving the loss of a headteacher who had played a central role in school life.
The school’s governing board previously described him as a man of unshakeable principles who treated others with compassion and fairness, and whose leadership had helped transform the school.
His family’s tributes underline the loss felt beyond the classroom – that of a husband and father whose everyday acts of support and kindness had made him irreplaceable to those closest to him.
Richardson is due to be sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday, November 2.
No sentence can undo the loss suffered by Mr Mullins’ family. But the guilty verdict marks the conclusion of a trial in which the evidence surrounding his final journey, including the events in Lymm, was central to securing a murder conviction.
1 Comment
I was disgusted at the actions of the accused and feel deeply for the family. I hope a life sentence means life and I hope his fellow inmates find their own way to get justice for his family.