Rogue roofer gets 13 years for 'wicked' golf course killing
A rogue roofer who mowed down and killed a mother-of-three on a Midland golf course during a police chase has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years. John McDonald, 52, admitted causing the death by dangerous driving of 62-year-old Suzanne Cherry, who was playing golf with her husband when she was struck.
A catastrophic collision during a frantic pursuit
The fatal incident occurred on April 11 last year at Aston Wood Golf Club in Little Aston, Sutton Coldfield. The court heard that Ms Cherry was searching for her golf ball near a stream when McDonald's van, which was being pursued by police, hit her. She suffered multiple catastrophic injuries and died in hospital on April 15, the day before her 63rd birthday.
Prior to the collision, McDonald had led police on a 12-minute pursuit. His van reached speeds of 70mph in 30mph zones, drove on the wrong side of the road, mounted pavements, and rammed a police car at least eight times. Collision investigators said the van was travelling at 41mph just five seconds before the airbags deployed. The court was told McDonald braked four-and-a-half seconds before impact, but it was too late to avoid the inevitable collision.
Stepping over a victim and a fraudulent roofing scam
In a callous act, McDonald stepped over Ms Cherry's body as he fled the scene with his passengers, his son Johnny McDonald, 23, and Brett Delaney, 35. While the passengers were not held responsible for the death, all three men admitted conspiracy to commit fraud.
The court heard they had been operating a fraudulent roofing company, Approved Roofs Ltd, in the West Midlands, targeting elderly and vulnerable victims for substandard and unnecessary work. On the morning of the fatal crash, police had noticed their van in Kingstanding, Birmingham, as they followed an elderly customer to a cash machine for payment.
Judge James Burbidge KC, jailing the trio, said: "You killed a person and devastated many." He described John McDonald's actions as "wicked in the extreme". McDonald was sentenced to a concurrent 48 months for the fraud conspiracy.
Lasting impact on a family and pursuing officers
Ms Cherry's husband, Clint Harrison, witnessed the horrific event and saw the driver run away. Speaking after the sentencing, he paid tribute to his wife as an "inspiration", a company owner, advanced motorcyclist, and avid adventurer.
The court also heard the profound impact on the police officer who pursued the van, who was considering leaving the force due to the trauma, despite being praised by the judge for her professional conduct. John McDonald's defence said he suffered nightmares and accepted full responsibility for the "untimely death of this much-loved woman".
Judge Burbidge ordered that McDonald must serve two-thirds of his sentence in prison before being considered for release on licence.
