Drink-drive killer jailed
A speeding, drunk-driver has been sentenced to 6 years for killing a pedestrian in Trafford
A drink-drive motorist who knocked down and killed a woman in Trafford has been jailed. Paul Tomlinson, of Helsby Road, Sale Moor, was sentenced to six years in prison and banned from driving for eight years at Minshull Street Crown Court. Tomlinson had pleaded guilty to causing the death of Susan Smythe, 59, by dangerous driving, failing to provide a specimen for analysis and failing to stop and report a collision. It happened at around 9pm on Friday 9 September 2016, when Tomlinson was driving his Volkswagen Golf along Wharfside Way, Trafford Park, when he almost collided with a vehicle waiting at a set of traffic lights. He was also seen mounting a kerb and narrowly avoiding collisions. At 9.50pm, Tomlinson was driving along Chester Road where Ms Smythe was crossing at the junction with Green Street. Tomlinson was driving at high speed and swerved erratically from the left lane, through the middle lane and into the outside lane where the front side of his car collided with her. Ms Smythe suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene.
Tomlinson failed to stop and before going home, left his car at a nearby car park and wiped the steering wheel and doors with a pair of leggings. Police Constable Anthony Pye, of GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "Tomlinson was an enormous amount over the legal drink drive limit and was in no fit state to be behind the wheel that night. "When he spoke with police afterwards, he was slurring his speech and unsteady on his feet. "Despite repeated screams from his girlfriend to slow down, Tomlinson continue to drive erratically and was reaching speeds in excess of 60mph in 40mph zones. "From the moment he put the keys in the ignition, he was an accident waiting to happen and narrowly avoided several collisions before he so tragically collided with Susan. "What makes his crime even worse is the fact that he failed to stop and even attempted to cover up what he had done by cleaning his finger prints off the vehicle. "No sentence can bring Susan back, but today's outcome should provide a stark reminder of the perils of driving under the influence of alcohol. "I hope it can at least bring some closure to Susan's family and help prevent other lives being needlessly lost on our roads."
PL