Former soldier killed nurse at more than 50mph in car with faulty brakes

The 18-year-old Landrover Craig Mossop was driving, without a licence or insurance, had faulty brakes and hit mum-of-two Susan Jackson with such force that that she was flung 30 metres across Royal Court Drive, Bolton, hitting a wall on the opposite side.

Mrs Jackson, who had been for a run and was on her way to the David Lloyd Health Club to join her husband, Graham Lockett, for a swim, died almost instantly from severe multiple injuries, including a completely severed spine.

Mr Lockett, who was waiting inside the club learnt of the tragedy outside after he rang his wife's mobile phone and it was answered by a police officer.

At Bolton Crown Court Army veteran Mossop, who appeared via a video link from prison sat with a mask on and head bowed as Mr Lockett told him how he had felt guilty about not being with his wife as she died.

But he stressed to Mossop: "I have reached the point that I am not going to feel guilty any longer. I have decided that you should be burdened with this guilt alone."

After killing Mrs Jackson the Landrover did not slow or stop and it continued up Chorley Street, careering through a red light, narrowly missing a BMW before swerving towards Chorley New Road and smashing into John Devaney, who was standing begging on the central reservation traffic lights at the junction with Chorley Old Road.

Mossop, who knew Mr Devaney and had been with him in Queens Park only two days earlier, finally stopped when he hit a wall. He got out of the vehicle but then climbed back inside and tried to move it. Mr Devaney spent three days in a critical care unit with a broken spine, ribs, nose and punctured lung.

Colin Buckle, prosecuting, told how 51-year-old Mossop was at his partner, Karen Marsh's home in Hindley at 4pm on August 23 when he decided to drive the Landrover.

The vehicle, which the couple shared, had no MoT and he was insured to drive it, but Mossop, who was still over the drink drive limit three hours after the crashes, climbed behind the wheel.

He began a six mile drive to Bolton with CCTV showing him taking a bend from Spa Road onto Chorley Street on the wrong side of the road, narrowly missing hitting another car, before fully mounting and driving on the pavement.

Mrs Jackson had just crossed Chorley Street and was on the pavement near Royal Court Drive, which leads to the health club when the Landrover hit her before carrying on driving on the pavement.

"Mercifully the pathologist concludes Mrs Jackson wouldn't have known anything about the impact," said Mr Buckle.

Mr Buckle told how nearby resident, James McKay was one of the first on the scene and brought blankets from his house and a mattress to screen Mrs Jackson from passing motorists.

He and a member of staff from the health club gave her CPR for 20 minutes until paramedics arrived and confirmed she had died.

"Mr Lockett at this stage was inside the health club. He became concerned about his wife and made multiple telephone calls to her," said Mr Buckle.

"The phone was eventually answered by a police officer telling Mr Lockett to come out to the car park where, of course, he was confronted with the scene at the bottom of Royal Court Drive and he was informed that his wife had died."

Police collision experts calculate that, shortly before colliding with Mrs Jackson the Landrover was travelling at at least 52.8mph.

Mr Buckle said that Mossop, struggling to control the vehicle, would have been well aware that the brakes were deteriorating, using the handbrake on a hairpin bend, but still accelerated up Chorley Street before hitting 50-year-old Mrs Jackson.

"The defendant made no attempt to stop after hitting Mrs Jackson, a fact that he must have been aware of due to the obvious heavy impact and smashed windscreen," said Mr Buckle.

The Landrover was then seen heading uphill towards Chorley Old Road before swerving, at the last moment, towards Chorley New Road and colliding with John Devaney at an estimated 18mph and hitting a wall.

"Witnesses at the scene described how the defendant seemed to be fighting to control the car," said Mr Buckle.

Mr Devaney, who had previously lived across the road from Mossop, had been stood at the traffic lights begging in order to help fund his drug habit.

Retired firefighter Ian Worth, who was on his way home, stopped to help while Mossop walked down a side street but returned later to the scene where he was arrested.

Three hours after the collisions, at the police station, Mossop's breath test read 51mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Mossop, of Hartington Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving, drink driving and having no licence or insurance.

A series of victim impact statements from members of Mrs Jackson's family and Mr Devaney were read to the court.

Mrs Jackson, a specialist cancer care nurse, had brought up two daughters, Emma and Sophie, alone following the suicide of her first husband before marrying Mr Lockett six years ago.

Mark Friend, defending Mossop, told the court: "He is truly sorry for his actions".

He added that Mossop has been diagnosed with PTSD after serving two tours of duty in Northern Ireland during the "Troubles" and seeing a friend killed and had struggled with drink and drugs.

"There is a sad irony for a man who entered the British Army in order to protect the public now being criminally responsible for the death of a member of the public and, of course, the serious injury to Mr Devaney," said Mr Friend.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh, was told that Mossop has 17 previous convictions for 37 offences including for drink driving, driving whilst banned and other motoring offences.

He adjourned passing sentence until Monday to allow him time to consider the evidence and submissions.