Eight years for driver who killed 'generous' grandfather while fleeing police

Taxi driver Allen Ingram, 64, was crushed against his vehicle and a wall before being dragged along the street 17 metres after Daniel Sayers crashed into him, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard.

Father-of-three Mr Ingram had been standing next to his car after closing the door for elderly passengers he had just picked up.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and was declared dead at the scene on St Lawrence Road, Denton, Greater Manchester.

His daughter Katrina Ingram told the court her father worked 365 days a year, including Christmas Day, and had "ploughed years" into living a simple life while looking forward to his retirement and time with his five grandchildren, who he "cherished."

In a victim impact statement she told the court he was "idolised" by his grandchildren.

She added: "My dad was a kind-hearted and generous man who never said a bad word about anyone.

"In the last decade I only recall him taking one day off. He did not ask for much and gave plenty in return.

"He was just doing his job, had gone to work doing something kind, and was killed."

Sayers, who had 57 previous convictions, left his victim dying in the road before crashing his Vauxhall Mokka, hired the day before, and fleeing on foot.

He told officers he "panicked" after police began following him as his passenger had just collected £20 worth of cannabis from a drugs deal.

Sayers had been convicted twice of aggravated vehicle taking and crashing cars, the court heard.

The father-of-one, of no fixed address, admitted at an earlier hearing to causing death by dangerous driving.

Jailing him for eight years, half to be served in prison, Judge John Potter said: "Your actions were senseless and selfish and it was Mr Ingram, a wholly decent and kind man, who has paid the price.

"He gave much in his life to others and at the age of 64 was looking forward to the relative tranquillity of retirement."

Earlier the court heard that at around 12.35pm on July 31, a police officer in an unmarked car spotted Sayers and believed the driver "did not suit" the vehicle and began following.

When Sayers was spotted using his mobile phone the officer turned on a siren for him to stop.

Sayers sped away, driving through junctions, over mini-roundabouts and speed bumps and forcing pedestrians to jump out of the way.

He turned down St Lawrence Road, a narrow residential street where Mr Ingram was closing the door for his passengers while two other cars waited.

Sayers, driving between 60mph and 70mph, tried to swerve round the obstacles in his path but ploughed into waiting Fiat and Dacia cars, then into Mr Ingram and his taxi, in a collision described by witnesses as like a "massive explosion".

He crashed his car into a wall shortly after, leaving his two passengers injured, before giving himself up the next day.

He was banned from driving for nine years.