This is the mugshot of the ‘selfish’ thug who caused the death of a beloved mum.
Marcel Doyle, 47, was jailed yesterday (July 4) for causing death by dangerous driving. In December last year he stole an Audi A3 from a gated driveway, before leading police on a high speed chase throughout the streets of Royton, Oldham.
As he made his way up Oldham Road towards the junction with Otmoor Way, Heather Smedley was waiting to turn right. He narrowly missed her, but just one second later, the pursuing police car collided with the driver's side of her Peugeot 103.
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Mrs Smedley sustained catastrophic injuries and sadly died at the scene.
Pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, and separate offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, Doyle was jailed for 14 years and 11 months.
In emotional statements from family members of Mrs Smedley, the court heard of their devastation following her death, and the impact it had upon them and those who knew her.
Her husband, Damian Smedley, said they met in Failsworth, before he moved over from Moston. “We married in a registry office,” he said.
“There were good days and brilliant memories. Everything has gone now and nothing is the same.
“It’s hard for the children. Olivia does not like to come here often as it reminds her of her mum. Jamie just bottles everything up and struggles inside but doesn’t cry and let his feelings out. You can see him going through it.
“You have got to keep strong, that is what his mum would have wanted.”
Mr Smedley said he’s since left his job at Northern Rail.
Speaking of the last time he saw his wife, he said it was the morning of the accident. He told her he would take their son to work, but instead Mrs Smedley said she would take him and he could take the dog out.
“I took the dog for a walk and on my way back from the cricket club, I saw her leave and she was waving at me. That was the last time I saw her alive. It really kills me thinking and talking about it,” he said.
Just 20 minutes later, he heard an ‘almighty bang’ and shouted to son, Jamie, that there had been an accident and it ‘didn’t sound good’.
“I went to my bedroom window and saw my neighbour running down the street to the house and she was shouting: “it’s Heather”. That’s when I saw all the carnage,” Mr Smedley said.
“I remember the sirens and the ambulance turning up and I remember them shouting: “This lady’s bleeding.” I was watching the paramedics working and working on her, I just knew my Heather had already died.
“I can only describe it as awful and horrific. Imagine going to see your wife has passed away when you had only spoken to her a couple of hours earlier.”
He said he had to drive past the scene, which is down the road from their home, a few times a day. “I have to be strong for myself and everybody else,” he said,
“Heather was a lovely person, she just loved being a mum and wife, she just lived for her family and everyone loved her.
“Everybody loved her to bits and she just didn’t deserve what happened to her. I wish it could have been me and I would gladly swap places. Our family has been ruined and so many lives have been ruined by what took place.”
Their daughter, Olivia, penned a statement on behalf of herself and the extended family. In it, she said: “Heather was the central point of the family, you could go to her anytime and she would always ask if you wanted a ‘small brew’.”
Mrs Smedley’s sister said she was her ‘best friend’, and the last text she sent to her that morning said: “I love you sis”, and Mrs Smedley had replied: “I love you too sis.”
Her brother was on his way to visit their mum with his wife and two children in the back of the car. As he approached the motorway, their sister called him and said: “Come off the motorway, there has been a tragedy I need to tell you about”.
“Every part of my niece's life has been broken forever"
Olivia added: “I just feel lost, I don’t know what I’m doing. I put a brave face on and carry on. We are all broken and all the family go to the cemetery everyday to see her.”
Her other sister said: “Every part of my niece's life has been broken forever.
“On Olivia’s wedding day there will be an empty chair, her mum was her number one fan. “Heather was a fantastic driver, a good woman who had never been in trouble with the law. Nobody had a bad word to say about her.”
The court heard that Doyle, who had been released on bail just nine days before following an attack on a man in his home, stole an Audi A3 whilst its owner left the engine running as he was preparing to take his wife to work.
Around an hour later, he was captured on CCTV changing the number plates on the Audi before driving off. He overtook an unmarked police car, which was part of GMP’s Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit, responsible for preventing the use of stolen and cloned cars.
The police car followed Doyle, and later tried to ‘box’ him in, but he drove onto a curb to escape.
Another unmarked police car, a VW Golf, took over the pursuit of Doyle as he drove up to the roundabout on Manchester Road. He travelled onto the wrong side of the road and overtook other cars.
The Audi then turned onto Oldham Road and made its way up to the junction with Otmoor Way, where a number of cars were waiting to turn right. Mrs Smedley, driving a Peugeot 103 was at the front of the queue.
Both the Audi and police car were travelling at 80 mph, though the road was governed by a 30mph limit.
Prosecutor Sara Haque said: “The Audi narrowly missed her [Mrs Smedley’s] vehicle as she commenced a right turn onto Otmoor Way. The Golf was one second behind the Audi, and therefore presented with the Peugeot completely across the lane as it made the right turn.”
The officer reacted ‘promptly’ and applied emergency brakes, but impacted the driver’s side of the Peugeot at 65mph. The officers, despite being injured themselves, got out of the car to assist, as did other members of the public.
Doyle ‘made good his escape’ and drove away from the scene. The Audi was recovered in a car park the following day, and contained Doyle’s fingerprints and DNA on a cigarette butt under the seat.
Doyle, of Higher Lime Road, was jailed for 14 years and 11 months. He was also banned from driving for 15 years and seven months.
