A high-speed police chase which led to the death of two friends was 'legitimate and proportionate', an inquest jury has concluded.
An inquest into the deaths of Patrick 'Paddy' Connor, and Thomas 'Tommy' Sharp - popular members of the traveller community - returned a narrative conclusion. Jurors found neither were wearing a seatbelt when they crashed head on into a taxi on September 23, 2020, and Tommy, the driver, was over the legal drink-drive limit.
Tommy, 29, was driving a Mercedes C Class with Paddy, 36, riding in the passenger seat when they crashed head-on into an Uber taxi. That came after a high speed police chase along two main Salford roads, Lower Broughton Road and Frederick Road.
Police, in an unmarked car, initially started following Tommy and Paddy around 11.46pm on September 23 as they believed they could be driving a stolen car or have been involved in other ‘criminality’. But when they failed to pull over a pursuit began - one that would only last 48 seconds and end in the deaths of Tommy and Paddy not long after, in the early hours of September 24.
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A jury inquest lasting eight days at Bolton Town Hall heard evidence from the officers involved in the pursuit itself, who gave their evidence anonymously, and a collection of witnesses who saw the seconds before the crash and the immediate aftermath of it.
The jury was shown CCTV of the short pursuit on a number of occasions, which shows Tommy and Paddy’s vehicle passing the unmarked police car, before the officers follow and begin the pursuit. The chase reaches speeds of more than 85mph, with Tommy going onto the wrong side of the road at times.
The car turned onto Frederick Road where the pursuit continues until they crash, glancing off of one taxi, before crashing head on into another. This second crash proved fatal for Tommy and Paddy, and left a passenger in this taxi fighting for their life in hospital, and two others seriously injured.
Waquas Pervez was driving the Uber which was crashed into. In his evidence last week, he said: "I just saw head lights and they were in my carriageway. I thought ‘I’m dead’. It was within the blink of an eye, I had no chance to do anything."
One of Waquas' passengers, Amber Jones, a student of Salford University at the time, recalled waking up after a period of being unconscious in the taxi, and having to be cut free by the fire service. She and her friend, Jessica Stenstrom, were rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary, with Amber needing surgery for her injuries.
Amber then developed an infection which left her fighting for her life. A statement by her read to the jury said: “It was an awful time of my life, everything was turned upside down. One minute the world was my oyster then it was all winched away from me.
"I was left with horrific injuries and fighting for my life. I went from a happy girl in second year to someone who doesn't know if they will attend university again. I didn't know I had been in a crash."
The officers involved in the pursuit, referred to as B1 and C1 throughout the court proceedings, said that the “risk was low” during the chase which they described as ‘proportionate’, despite the high speeds. They said this was due to a number of factors, such as the good driving conditions and light traffic at the time although this was disputed by Sam Harmel, representing the Sharp family, who contended the speeds being driven and other factors made the pursuit ‘disproportionate’.
The jury also heard evidence from toxicologist Julie Evans, who told them that Tommy was found with alcohol over the legal driving limit and cocaine in his system, as was Paddy, but she could not completely say the effect this would have had on his driving. Dr Justin Nkonge, who carried out a post-mortem on both men, told the jury that they sustained catastrophic injuries to the chest and severe brain trauma, which would have killed them shortly after the crash. Evidence was also heard throughout that neither men were wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Police and paramedics who treated both men at the scene described the crash as one of the worst they have seen with debris and fluids from the vehicles covering the road. Police did their best to treat both Paddy and Tommy with CPR before paramedics arrived, with Paddy pronounced dead at the scene. Tommy was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after. Both their causes of death was given as ‘chest injuries’.
Giving a narrative conclusion for both Tommy and Paddy, the jury said the Mercedes was being driven 'at speed' and 'failed to stop'. Their speed increased and they entered the wrong side of the carriageway, the jury conclusion said, which resulted in two collisions.
The first was a glancing blow after which Tommy was "unable to control the vehicle" ending in a head on collision with the second taxi, resulting in their "fatal injuries". "At the time of the collision they were found not to be wearing a seatbelt," the jury added. Tommy was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 00.56 on September 24.
The jury concluded that Tommy's cause of death was 'chest injuries' which came after a collision following a "legitimate and proportionate" police pursuit. This pursuit caused him to "change his driving behaviour" and drive at high speeds with "additional risk taking". They concluded that "major factors" for the collision included Tommy driving on the wrong side of the road, and being over the legal drink driving limit. But they said it was "not possible" to determine the effect that the alcohol and drugs, as well as the 'unroadworthy condition' of the vehicle, had on the collision.
The same conclusion was given for Paddy, clarifying that he was the passenger in the Mercedes, and that he died at the scene of the collision of 'chest injuries' nearly 30 minutes before Tommy died at hospital. Paddy, of Derby Road, Golborne, left behind a wife and four children. Tommy, of Duchy Road Caravan Park, Salford, left behind a wife and two children.
Senior Coroner Timothy Brennand accepted these conclusions, and passed his condolences onto the family. He said one factor reflected in the findings of this case was the "importance of wearing a safety belt" when driving.
Mr Brennand commended the emergency services personnel "who tried to save them". "I have no doubt of the high skill and determination of those in order to try and save the lives of these two," he added.
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