Overview
- John McDonald was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court to 13.5 years in prison for causing the death of 62-year-old Suzanne Cherry by dangerous driving, with a concurrent four-year term for fraud and eligibility for release after serving two-thirds.
- Co-defendants Johnny McDonald and Brett Delaney were jailed for conspiracy to commit fraud, receiving sentences of 32 months and 28 months respectively with credit for time served.
- Police began the 12-minute pursuit after spotting the van following an elderly woman to a cashpoint, and the chase reached 70mph, involved ramming a patrol car, and ended when the van drove onto Aston Wood Golf Club.
- Collision investigators told the court the van was traveling at about 41mph five seconds before the airbags deployed and that braking began 4.5 seconds before impact, with Ms Cherry dying in hospital four days later from catastrophic injuries.
- Prosecutors said the men operated under the name Approved Roofs Ltd and took tens of thousands of pounds from elderly victims, and the Independent Office for Police Conduct continues to examine police involvement in the events leading up to the crash.