A personal trainer has admitted to causing death by dangerous driving after repeatedly running over a man who lay injured in the road. Megan Murphy, 26, drove over amateur footballer Darryl Tomlinson, 31, three times on January 9 last year. The incident occurred after Murphy failed to adequately defrost her car's windscreen and drove the wrong way down a one-way street.

Murphy, who runs a fitness coaching class, initially lied to police at the scene, claiming she had been reversing and had only briefly attempted to defrost her windscreen. However, seized phone messages revealed a friend had advised her to ensure windows were clear to avoid hitting someone already on the ground. The messages also contained a derogatory remark about Mr. Tomlinson. Murphy pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Bolton Crown Court and is scheduled for sentencing.

The court heard that Murphy was known to drive the wrong way down the street to avoid a nearby housing estate. Mr. Tomlinson, who lived approximately 500 yards from the incident, died at the roadside from his injuries.

Emergency Services Response Under Investigation

An hour before the fatal incident, a neighbor had called emergency services after seeing Mr. Tomlinson collapsed in the street. However, neither police nor ambulance services responded to this initial call. An investigation is currently underway into this communication breakdown.

CCTV footage showed vehicles driving around Mr. Tomlinson at 4:30 a.m. and then reversing to avoid him by 4:49 a.m. A neighbor, assessing Mr. Tomlinson as incoherent and unresponsive, contacted emergency services at 5:05 a.m. North West Ambulance Service notified Greater Manchester Police at 5:13 a.m., but neither service located the patient and consequently did not attend the scene.

A taxi driver attempted to block the road entrance to protect Mr. Tomlinson. Despite these efforts, Murphy, driving from the opposite direction, had extremely limited visibility due to her inadequately cleared windscreen.

CCTV recorded Murphy exiting her car and attempting to clear ice for only a few seconds. Reversing out of a rear access lane, she had virtually no outward visibility. She then drove forward, illuminating Mr. Tomlinson directly in her headlights. Despite a neighbor attempting to warn her and the taxi driver honking his horn, Murphy ran over Mr. Tomlinson with her front wheel. She then reversed again, running over him a second time, and drove forward once more, ultimately placing the car's undercarriage across his torso.

Immediate Aftermath and False Statements

Murphy initially told the taxi driver, "I didn't see him." However, she later made false statements to authorities. In a 999 call, she claimed she had been planning to drive the correct way, a statement challenged by the taxi driver who was aware of her habit. Within minutes of the collision, Murphy left the scene and made a phone call in which she falsely stated she had reversed over Mr. Tomlinson, referring to him pejoratively as a "smackhead" while he was trapped under her car. She was also observed retrieving an item to attempt further ice removal from her windscreen, seemingly to create a false impression of visibility.

Emergency services arrived at 6 a.m. and extricated Mr. Tomlinson from under the vehicle. He was pronounced dead 20 minutes later. Murphy falsely told a police officer at the scene that she had de-iced her car and had been reversing. She claimed she felt a bump, mistaking it for a kerb. Police noted her heavily iced windscreen with only a small cleared area, raising suspicions about her account.

Victim's Family Impact

In a statement, Mr. Tomlinson's mother, Michelle, described him as someone who would help anyone and had a deep love for football. She expressed that Darryl would still be alive if Murphy had seen him or if the ambulance service had responded appropriately, although she placed the ultimate responsibility with Murphy. She stated that losing her son had irrevocably changed their lives.

Mr. Tomlinson's father, Tommy, spoke of sleepless nights and nightmares, feeling like giving up on life. He stated that his emotions remained unchanged since the day of his son's death and that he could not understand why his son had not been safe. While holding the ambulance service accountable for not finding his son, he stressed that Murphy was responsible for taking his life. He described his son as his colleague and friend, emphasizing the profound loss.

Murphy is due to be sentenced at Bolton Crown Court.