Jail for football fan who mowed down pensioner

3:48pm Monday 19th May 2008

Comments (7)   Have your say »

A drunken Manchester United fan who mowed down and killed a pedestrian as he raced home from a Premiership match was jailed for five years today.

A court heard that Kamlesh Patel, 27, had been drinking whisky and lager when he drove his Ford Transit van through a red light on a pelican crossing on October 6 last year.

Patrick Murphy, 73, who had been using the crossing near the Old Trafford ground was knocked down by the van and thrown into the air by the impact. But as he lay dying, Patel shouted to a passenger "I can't stop" then drove off with police in pursuit.

As he got stuck in traffic further up the road he tried to get his passenger to swap seats but was arrested at the wheel.Tests inquiries revealed Patel, from Farnworth, Bolton was two and a half times over the limit.

He had been seen over taking traffic on the wrong side of the road in the run up to the tragedy and Minshull Street crown court, Manchester, heard how he had also been banned from driving for 18 months in 2004 for drink driving.

Patel pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop after an accident.

Sentencing Patel to five years in prison and banning him from driving for five years Judge Timothy Mort said: "I should say this about these sort of cases - at no point did you want to kill Mr Murphy, secondly no sentence can ever make up for the loss of Mr Murphy's life."

Prosecuting, Mr Alaric Bassano said: "The defendant was with his cousin Rakesh Patel and the two of them had been to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Wigan. They were travelling together in a Ford Transit van. Before leaving home the defendant drank whiskey and lager.While driving the van to the game he was drinking lager, and at half time he was drinking lager.

"The defendant was driving on the A56 Chester road and as was to be expected on an occasion such as this the traffic was heavy in both lanes. There was also a number of pedestrians on the pavement walking away from the football match.It is clear from the evidence and interviews that the defendant was in a rush. He became impatient and agitated at the heavy traffic and performed a series of dangerous manoeuvres which culminated in the deceased being struck."

Mr Bassano added that when Mr Murphy was admitted to hospital it was initially thought that his injuries were not life threatening. However his condition then deteriorated - he suffered a heart attack and it was also discovered that he was bleeding from the liver. He was operated on but sadly died. A post mortem listed the cause of death as liver damage which was consistent with injuries caused in the collision.

Defending Mr Mark Smith said: "Ones reaction to this case is first of all what a terrible waste. Mr Patel knows that custody is the inevitable outcome. Not for a moment has the defendant tried to deflect the blame. The remorse he has shown immediately after the collision and in the aftermath is in my view genuine."