Shannen HeadleyWest Midlands
A roof repair fraudster who drove his van into a mother-of-three on a golf course after being pursued by police has been jailed for 13 years and six months.
Suzanne Cherry died in hospital in April, four days after she was hit at Aston Wood Golf Club in Staffordshire.
John McDonald, 52, of Booth Street in Bloxwich, West Midlands, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Worcester Crown Court on Monday.
The 52-year-old, along with two other men, was involved in a roofing fraud at the time, with the trio charging elderly householders “exorbitant amounts” for poor repairs, the court heard.
Their van was spotted by police and pursued on to the course where Cherry was playing with her husband.
Her partner said his wife’s death had left him without a future to look forward to and he only had “an empty present to survive”.
For conspiracy to commit fraud, co-defendants Johnny McDonald, 23, of Molyneux Road, Dudley, was sentenced to 32 months in prison and Delaney 28 months, with time served reduced from their sentence.
John McDonald was jailed for 13-and-a-half years, with a concurrent sentence of 48 months for conspiracy to commit fraud.
The judge told him he would have to serve two-thirds in prison before being released on licence.
“You killed a person and devastated many,” Judge James Burbidge KC told John McDonald.
His sentence was reduced from 18 years for his two offences after his guilty pleas were taken into consideration, the court heard.
All three men pleaded guilty on Monday to a charge each of conspiracy to commit fraud between 17 February and 12 April last year, by making false representations that roofing work was needed when it was not, under the guise of a company called Approved Roofs Ltd in the West Midlands.
FamilyOn 11 April, a police officer in a marked vehicle saw the trio “by chance” and began to follow them after one of them turned their head away after noticing her – leading to the police pursuit.
They had been following an elderly customer to a cash machine for payment after carrying out substandard work on her roof, heard the court.
Prosecutor Michael Burrows KC said the van drove off at high speed, on the wrong side of the road, damaging at least five vehicles as it reached speeds of 70mph in 30mph zones and was even used to repeatedly ram a pursuing police car.
John McDonald then drove the van into the golf club and on to the first fairway with police stopping their pursuit when the van came off the road.
Cherry was playing golf with her husband and was looking for a ball near a stream when she was hit.
The court heard John McDonald braked four-and-a-half seconds before the impact, with Cherry coming into view five seconds before, making a crash inevitable.
“[Her husband] shouted to her but there was no time for her to react,” Burrows added.
John McDonald stepped over Cherry’s body as he made off with the other two, the court heard.
Staffordshire PoliceAll three men had previously denied manslaughter charges last year.
John McDonald said “thank you” as he was sent down to the cells.
The court heard the police officer who was pursuing the van was considering leaving the force because of what happened.
Burbidge praised the officers in the pursuit for their “calm, collected, professional attitude”, adding: “They should receive high commendation from their senior officers if they have not already done so.”
Mark Gatley KC, defending John McDonald, said the defendant suffered nightmares about what he had done and was in poor physical health.
“He accepts full responsibility for his offending, for causing the untimely death of this much-loved woman, sister, mother and wife,” he added.
Burbidge said John McDonald’s actions were “wicked in the extreme”.
He said: “It is clear that you did attempt to brake, but you had insufficient time to avoid her.
“Even if you did something to avoid the collision, it was too little, too late.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the fatal crash and the involvement of West Midlands Police officers.
“Our investigation, during which all officers were treated as witnesses, was completed in October,” a spokesperson said.
“We will publish our findings at the end of all associated proceedings, including coronial, to avoid any potential prejudice. “
