Headteacher, 56, Dragged Beneath Car for More Than a Mile Before His Death, Murder Trial Hears

A respected headteacher and devoted family man suffered a horrifying death after being struck by a car while cycling home from work, a court in England has heard. Michael Mullins, 56, was allegedly trapped beneath a Volvo and dragged for more than a mile as the driver continued along the road. The shocking details emerged during the opening of a murder trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, where prosecutors outlined the final moments of the much-loved educator’s life.

The incident happened on April 20, when Michael was cycling home from Stretford Grammar School in Greater Manchester, where he had served as headteacher for 17 years. Prosecutors alleged that Simon Richardson, 35, drove through give-way markings at a junction in Altrincham and struck Michael. While several witnesses reportedly stopped to check what had happened and call emergency services, the court heard that Richardson allegedly drove away from the scene instead of stopping to help the injured cyclist.

According to the prosecution, Michael had become trapped underneath the vehicle after the collision. Prosecutor Phil Barnes KC told the jury that damage to the car’s bonnet and windscreen was visible as it continued its journey, suggesting the driver could not have been unaware of the impact. The prosecution alleges that Richardson knew Michael was beneath the vehicle but continued driving, at times travelling at speeds reportedly reaching twice the limit.

In one particularly disturbing detail presented to the court, Richardson allegedly stopped on a quiet country lane and got out of the vehicle in an attempt to pull Michael free. However, after failing to dislodge him, he is accused of getting back behind the wheel and driving on. Prosecutors further alleged that the car was deliberately steered from side to side before mounting a grass verge, where Michael was reportedly run over again before finally becoming dislodged.

Witnesses subsequently followed a trail of blood and discovered Michael lying on a grass verge. One person who reached him found him still breathing, but barely alive. Emergency medical teams arrived and attempted to help him, but he was pronounced dead at the roadside at approximately 6:50 p.m., around 40 minutes after the initial collision. The court heard that the distance he had been dragged exceeded two kilometres, making the circumstances surrounding his death particularly distressing.

Michael was more than a long-serving school leader. He was a father and grandfather whose family described him as a loving and devoted man. His death has left loved ones grieving a loss that has also deeply affected the wider school community. Stretford Grammar School had been a central part of his life for nearly two decades, and his death has brought renewed attention to the devastating consequences of dangerous driving and leaving an injured person without assistance.

Richardson was arrested the following day after an alleged separate dangerous-driving incident involving a van during a police pursuit in Failsworth, Oldham, the court heard. He denies murder and has also pleaded not guilty to the alternative charge of manslaughter and an allegation of dangerous driving. The trial is ongoing, and the allegations against him have yet to be determined by the jury.

As the proceedings continue, the case is examining not only the circumstances of the fatal collision but also the prosecution’s claim that the driver knowingly continued while Michael remained trapped beneath the car. For his family, however, the legal arguments cannot undo the loss of a beloved father and grandfather whose journey home ended in unimaginable tragedy.

Source: The Sun