Men jailed after head-on 90mph crash with unmarked police car in Liverpool
Norman O'Connor, Colin Miller, and a 14-year-old boy who cannot be named, made off at speed in the Jaguar convertible after raiding its elderly owner's home, threatening him with a hammer.
Minutes later, as it was being pursued by marked police patrols, the group ploughed the car, head-on, into an unmarked police car on patrol on Heyworth Street in Everton.
The vehicle, driven by O'Connor, 37, was said to have been travelling at up to 90mph prior to the crash.
O'Connor, of Anfield, Liverpool, fled the car before being detained nearby on the pavement, while the teenager was discovered with an injury to his leg in the front passenger seat.
Miller, 54, of Sefton Park, Liverpool, was "propelled from the back seat" into the centre console.
Liverpool Crown Court heard the pensioner was watching television alone at his home in Anfield at around 10.15pm on 20 December 2024 when he "heard a loud bang" as his window was smashed.
The three defendants then proceeded to enter through the broken window, with one of the men brandishing a hammer towards the pensioner while demanding money.
Helen Chenery, prosecuting, told the court the pensioner ultimately handed over £240 from his pocket as a result of the threats, while another of the offenders took the keys to his £25,000 Jaguar car from his briefcase.
All three then climbed back out of the home via the broken window and sped away inside the vehicle.
In a statement read to the court on his behalf, the victim said: "Prior to the incident, I was an independent 76-year-old man who lived on his own. My home is meant to be a safe space.
"I knew, because of my age, that I was unable to fight. These males entered my home, where I'm meant to feel safe, and made me feel vulnerable and scared.
"I have worked hard all my life. This has affected my family greatly, to the point where they want me to relocate to Southampton to ensure that I'm safe and that nothing like this will happen again.
"I have a large classic toy car collection. A lot of these were bought as presents by my wife, who passed away a few years ago.
"A lot of these were damaged by the offenders breaking in through the window. This has caused a lot of heartache for me."
One of the Merseyside Police PCs involved in the crash reported suffering "bruising and pain" as a result, while the other will be left with permanent scarring as a result of a cut to his hip.
O'Connor, who admitted robbery, theft, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, theft and going equipped for theft, was jailed for nine years.
While Miller pleaded guilty to robbery and theft, and was jailed for eight years and one month.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: "It is not possible to say which of you held the hammer, neither does that matter. Whichever one of you did not have the hammer plainly knew that the other one did.
"It was you, O'Connor, who was driving the vehicle. The vehicle was driven in a highly dangerous way at speed with its lights switched off. A collision was almost inevitable, and it happened. Those police officers suffered injury, both physical and psychological, while they were doing nothing more than their duty.
He continued: "It is clear that his independence and pride was shattered by your actions on this night. The only real mitigation that can be advanced on either of your behalves is the fact that you pleaded guilty."
O'Connor's criminal record shows 17 previous convictions for 32 offences, including burglary, aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving.
Peter White, defending, said on his behalf: "There is no justification for Mr O'Connor's conduct. He tells me that this period of his life was entirely dominated by drink and drugs.
"He had a chaotic lifestyle and was acting wholly inappropriately and not thinking straight. He tells me that he had a long term relationship which came to an end in 2018. He lost contact with his young son. Since then, his offending has massively escalated. He has been in that vicious cycle, in and out of prison and doing anything to fund his addiction.
"He has heard the consequences of his actions. He is more than aware that someone could have easily died in that horrendous piece of dangerous driving, and it is only through good fortune that he is not facing a more serious offence."
Miller has 40 prior convictions for 112 offences dating back to 1987, including 54 for theft related matters.
His counsel, Brendan Carville, told the court: "He is not in good health. While in prison, he has been tested for bowel cancer. He is awaiting the results of that.
"He bitterly regrets his involvement in this. He has little memory of what happened and is lucky to be alive, given the crash that occurred head-on. He feels very stupid to be involved in this and apologises to both the complainant and the court. His plan, when released, is to go and live in Plymouth with his brother."
The youth, now aged 15, was previously handed four years and seven months in youth detention. He admitted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a bladed article in a public place, two counts of racially aggravated assault, assault, criminal damage and possession of cannabis and was found guilty of wounding with intent, having repeatedly stabbed a man in the street.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
21 hours ago
- BBC News
Thief steals £10k in jewellery from Jaguar car in Ledbury
Jewellery worth £10,000 has been stolen in a smash-and-grab raid on a parked Jaguar car.A hammer was used to break into the black E-PACE D200 vehicle, which was parked in the short-stay St Katherine's car park in Ledbury, Herefordshire, on Thursday at 13:15 BST. The thief stole a duffle bag, which had the jewellery Mercia Police are encouraging anyone who witnessed the theft or may have information about the stolen items to contact PC Scott Marsh via email at Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Manchester Airport case jurors urged to ‘not be distracted' by officer's actions
Mobile phone footage of the incident on July 23 last year was shared on social media and went viral. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of assaulting three police officers and a member of public before he was felled by a Taser strike. Greater Manchester Police officers Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport minutes earlier. The Crown says Amaaz resisted and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened as a 'high level of violence' was inflicted on the officers. In his closing speech to the jury on Thursday, prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said it was 'simple logic and common sense' that what happened subsequently was 'irrelevant as to why the defendants used the force they did'. He said: 'We don't shy away from that kick and stamp by Pc Marsden. However, what does that kick, what does that stamp have to do with your task? 'The defence suggest, at least as we understood it, that the kick and stamp and other aspects of the aftermath reveal that the officers were out of control from start to finish. 'We suggest from all of what you have seen and all of what you have heard from these three professional officers when they gave evidence is that you can be sure that the suggestion that they were out of control is false and wrong. 'We invite you to focus on the violence used by the defendants and not be distracted by what happened afterwards. That's what it is, a distraction and an example of an effort to try to complicate what is a simple case.' He said the claims by Amaaz that he did not realise that Pc Ward and Pc Cook were women when he struck them was a 'barefaced lie'. Pc Ward suffered a broken nose as she was floored by a punch to the face and Pc Cook was also knocked to the ground by a number of elbows and punches, the court has heard. Mr Greaney told jurors: 'Of course we know you will make fair allowance for the fast-moving and dynamic events but the suggestion he didn't know they were women cannot exist in the world we inhabit.' Mr Greaney said Amaad had 'no legitimate reason to seek to prevent the officers from carrying out their duty particularly in the circumstances where it must have been obvious his brother was resisting arrest'. His claims that he thought his brother was being choked by Pc Marsden was 'demonstrably untrue', said the prosecutor. Mr Greaney said the officers were doing what the law entitled them to do in their plan to seek to move Amaaz from the paystation area and then tell him outside he was under arrest. He said: 'What was going through their minds is we have a duty to perform and we are going to perform it. 'Conversely, what was going through the mind of the first defendant, Amaaz, was that he plainly knew that the people taking hold of him were police officers. He had just attacked a man in public in an international airport. What he did think they were there for?' Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations and say they were lawfully acting in self defence or in defence of each other. Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. In his closing submission, Imran Khan KC, defending Amaaz, said the incident may not have happened and 'gone viral' but for Pc Marsden. He said: 'Pc Marsden's decision-making has put his colleagues in danger. It has caused all this to happen. It could have been avoided. 'One might think that the easiest thing to have done would have been to say 'excuse me sir, would you mind stepping outside so I can have a word with you'. 'What would be wrong with that? This was not the crime of the century. 'They all three of them grab hold of parts of his body without announcing themselves, that's crazy, 'This deliberate intentional plan led to unlawful force being applied. This is a group of officers led by Pc Marsden that flouts every procedure, every rule, every law. 'Fahir was terrified for his life. That's how this started.' Mr Khan said Pc Marsden's conduct after Amaaz was felled by a Taser strike was relevant. He said: 'When it comes to the kick and stamp we say that is typical of his behaviour from the beginning. 'When Fahir is on the floor almost motionless having been tasered, he is not a threat. 'Pc Marsden sought to justify the unjustifiable. 'He kicked Fahir in the head with what you may feel was a rugby-style kick. He said it was a light kick. In what world can this be said to be a light kick?' Mr Khan told jurors it was 'plain as the nose on my face' that Pc Marsden also pushed his Taser into the face of the defendants' mother, rather than the officer's belief that Amaad accidentally struck her. He said: 'To suggest her own son did it is plumbing the depths. 'It is very clear. This is Pc Marsden out of control. That's how she got her injury. She was not a threat.' The trial continues on Friday.
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Manchester Airport case jurors urged to ‘not be distracted' by officer's actions
Mobile phone footage of the incident on July 23 last year was shared on social media and went viral. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of assaulting three police officers and a member of public before he was felled by a Taser strike. Greater Manchester Police officers Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport minutes earlier. The Crown says Amaaz resisted and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened as a 'high level of violence' was inflicted on the officers. In his closing speech to the jury on Thursday, prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said it was 'simple logic and common sense' that what happened subsequently was 'irrelevant as to why the defendants used the force they did'. He said: 'We don't shy away from that kick and stamp by Pc Marsden. However, what does that kick, what does that stamp have to do with your task? 'The defence suggest, at least as we understood it, that the kick and stamp and other aspects of the aftermath reveal that the officers were out of control from start to finish. 'We suggest from all of what you have seen and all of what you have heard from these three professional officers when they gave evidence is that you can be sure that the suggestion that they were out of control is false and wrong. 'We invite you to focus on the violence used by the defendants and not be distracted by what happened afterwards. That's what it is, a distraction and an example of an effort to try to complicate what is a simple case.' He said the claims by Amaaz that he did not realise that Pc Ward and Pc Cook were women when he struck them was a 'barefaced lie'. Pc Ward suffered a broken nose as she was floored by a punch to the face and Pc Cook was also knocked to the ground by a number of elbows and punches, the court has heard. Mr Greaney told jurors: 'Of course we know you will make fair allowance for the fast-moving and dynamic events but the suggestion he didn't know they were women cannot exist in the world we inhabit.' Mr Greaney said Amaad had 'no legitimate reason to seek to prevent the officers from carrying out their duty particularly in the circumstances where it must have been obvious his brother was resisting arrest'. His claims that he thought his brother was being choked by Pc Marsden was 'demonstrably untrue', said the prosecutor. Mr Greaney said the officers were doing what the law entitled them to do in their plan to seek to move Amaaz from the paystation area and then tell him outside he was under arrest. He said: 'What was going through their minds is we have a duty to perform and we are going to perform it. 'Conversely, what was going through the mind of the first defendant, Amaaz, was that he plainly knew that the people taking hold of him were police officers. He had just attacked a man in public in an international airport. What he did think they were there for?' Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations and say they were lawfully acting in self defence or in defence of each other. Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. In his closing submission, Imran Khan KC, defending Amaaz, said the incident may not have happened and 'gone viral' but for Pc Marsden. He said: 'Pc Marsden's decision-making has put his colleagues in danger. It has caused all this to happen. It could have been avoided. 'One might think that the easiest thing to have done would have been to say 'excuse me sir, would you mind stepping outside so I can have a word with you'. 'What would be wrong with that? This was not the crime of the century. 'They all three of them grab hold of parts of his body without announcing themselves, that's crazy, 'This deliberate intentional plan led to unlawful force being applied. This is a group of officers led by Pc Marsden that flouts every procedure, every rule, every law. 'Fahir was terrified for his life. That's how this started.' Mr Khan said Pc Marsden's conduct after Amaaz was felled by a Taser strike was relevant. He said: 'When it comes to the kick and stamp we say that is typical of his behaviour from the beginning. 'When Fahir is on the floor almost motionless having been tasered, he is not a threat. 'Pc Marsden sought to justify the unjustifiable. 'He kicked Fahir in the head with what you may feel was a rugby-style kick. He said it was a light kick. In what world can this be said to be a light kick?' Mr Khan told jurors it was 'plain as the nose on my face' that Pc Marsden also pushed his Taser into the face of the defendants' mother, rather than the officer's belief that Amaad accidentally struck her. He said: 'To suggest her own son did it is plumbing the depths. 'It is very clear. This is Pc Marsden out of control. That's how she got her injury. She was not a threat.' The trial continues on Friday.
