Manchester, England — Jury Convicts Driver of Murdering Cyclist

A jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court found Simon Richardson, 35, guilty of murdering head teacher Michael Mullins, who was dragged under Richardson's car for more than a mile in Trafford, Greater Manchester, according to the BBC. Richardson was also convicted of dangerous driving. He is due back in the same court Monday for sentencing.

What did the jury decide, and on what charges?

The jury returned two guilty verdicts: murder and dangerous driving, the BBC reported. Mrs Justice Brunner KC, who presided over the trial, told Richardson there is only one sentence available for murder under English law — life imprisonment — though the judge did not specify the minimum term Richardson will serve before parole eligibility; that figure is expected Monday. The public gallery reacted with shouts of "Yes!" when the murder verdict was read, and others in the gallery were heard crying, per the BBC's courtroom account.

How did the crash and dragging happen, according to prosecutors?

Prosecutors said Richardson drove through "give way" markings at a junction in the village of Warburton on the evening of April 20 and struck Mullins, 56, who was cycling home from his job as head teacher at Stretford Grammar School. Mullins went under Richardson's Volvo XC90. Rather than stopping immediately, Richardson drove on before pulling over in a country lane, where he and a passenger — his cousin, Gabrielle Debotte — heard "moaning" from under the vehicle, Debotte testified, recalling that Richardson said, "He is under the car," the BBC reported.

According to the prosecution's case as relayed by the BBC, Richardson got out of the car twice in attempts to free Mullins, then mounted a grass verge to dislodge him before reversing over him, causing what prosecutors described as "crushing" chest injuries. The Crown argued those injuries — not the initial collision — caused Mullins's death, attributing the fatal harm to "dragging and crushing" rather than impact alone.

By the numbers

• 35 — age of convicted driver Simon Richardson
• 56 — age of victim Michael Mullins, a father of two
• More than 1 mile — distance Mullins was dragged while trapped under the car, per the BBC
• April 20 — date of the collision in Warburton, Trafford

Why does the murder verdict carry a mandatory life sentence?

Mrs Justice Brunner KC stated in court that murder carries only one sentence in English law: life imprisonment, the BBC reported. That statement from the bench is the only sentencing mechanism detailed in court reporting so far; the length of the minimum term Richardson must serve has not yet been set and is expected to be announced at Monday's hearing. Richardson's separate dangerous-driving conviction does not carry its own mandatory penalty in the same way and will likely be addressed concurrently at sentencing, though the BBC's reporting does not specify how the court will structure that element.

What happens at Monday's sentencing hearing?

Richardson is scheduled to return to Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday, where the judge is expected to set the minimum term of his life sentence. Richardson, listed in court records as of no fixed address, was taken into custody following a police chase after the collision, according to the BBC.

What has Michael Mullins's family said?

In a statement released after the verdicts, Mullins's family described him as "an anchor," "the perfect dad" and "our everything."

"My past, present and future have been brutally and callously torn apart. My memories of being with Michael through the rough and the smooth are now permanently tainted with sadness." — Michael Mullins's widow, in a family statement reported by the BBC

Mullins's son said his father was "the type of Dad that would show up to everything," recalling that in their last exchange, before Mullins dropped him at a train station, his father told him "how proud he was of him." Mullins's daughter said she had promised herself in the days after his death to "live the rest of my life for my Dad," adding, "I am here telling you all that my Dad was and always will be our everything."

Timeline

• April 20, 2026 — Richardson's Volvo strikes Mullins at a junction in Warburton; Mullins is dragged under the vehicle for more than a mile before Richardson is apprehended following a police chase.
• Trial — Prosecutors argue Richardson caused fatal "crushing" injuries by reversing over Mullins after failing to free him from under the car; Richardson's cousin, a passenger at the time, testifies to hearing moaning from beneath the vehicle.
• October 30, 2026 — Jury convicts Richardson of murder and dangerous driving at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
• November 2, 2026 (Monday) — Richardson is scheduled to be sentenced; a mandatory life term is expected, with the minimum period to be set by Mrs Justice Brunner KC.

Michael Mullins served as head teacher of Stretford Grammar School in Trafford at the time of his death, according to the BBC.