Simon Richardson has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 25 years, for murdering headteacher Michael Mullins by driving more than a mile with him trapped beneath his car.
Richardson, 35, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday 2 November 2026 after a jury found him guilty of murdering Mr Mullins, 56, on Friday. He was also banned from driving for life.
What happened on 20 April
Mr Mullins was cycling home from Stretford Grammar School, where he had been headteacher for 17 years, when Richardson drove through give-way markings at a junction in Warburton, Greater Manchester, and struck him with his black Volvo XC90.
Mr Mullins was thrown onto the bonnet and windscreen before becoming trapped beneath the vehicle. Instead of stopping to seek help, Richardson continued driving for about 2.2 kilometres (1.3 miles), at times at high speed, the court heard.
He eventually stopped on a secluded track near Wet Gate Lane in Lymm and tried to pull Mr Mullins free. When that failed, Richardson drove on, swerving from side to side and mounting a grass verge to dislodge him. Court reporting states that Richardson then reversed over Mr Mullins before leaving the scene.
A passing motorcyclist found Mr Mullins by the roadside. Emergency services attended, but he died from multiple injuries. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the post-mortem examination established that his fatal injuries resulted from being dragged beneath the car, not from the initial collision.
Why the jury convicted Richardson of murder
The prosecution’s case rested on what Richardson did after the collision. The jury heard evidence that he knew Mr Mullins was trapped beneath his car and nevertheless continued driving. His front-seat passenger, cousin Gabrielle Debotte, told the court they heard moaning and that Richardson said: “He’s under the car.”
Richardson denied realising Mr Mullins was beneath the vehicle. Jurors rejected his account. The CPS said CCTV, witness evidence and his attempts to dislodge the cyclist helped establish that he knowingly continued actions capable of causing really serious harm. Prosecutors described the case as one of the first murder convictions to arise from a road traffic collision.
Life sentence and 25-year minimum
Mrs Justice Brunner imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years. That is the period Richardson must serve before he can be considered for release; it does not guarantee he will be released after 25 years.
The judge said Richardson had shown an “astonishing degree of disregard for human life”, according to reporting of the sentencing. The court also imposed a lifetime driving ban.
Michael Mullins remembered by his family and school
Mr Mullins was a husband, father of two and longstanding school leader. His family described him as their anchor, remembering his kindness, dedication and the everyday ways he supported them.
“I am, we are, completely bereft and adrift without our anchor, Michael Mullins.”
Michael Mullins’s wife, in a statement released by Greater Manchester Police
Acting headteacher Elizabeth Baxter said he had been an inspirational leader and that his loss had left a void throughout Stretford Grammar School. Detective Chief Inspector Louise Edwards urged the public to remember Mr Mullins and the legacy he left behind, rather than only the man convicted of killing him.
