Brockholes Brow driver abandons appeal against 6-year sentence for killing Preston women in horror crash

A man who killed two young Preston women in a horror crash in Brockholes Brow has abandoned his appeal against his conviction.
By Matthew Calderbank
Published 23rd Jul 2019, 14:33 BST
Updated 23rd Jul 2019, 15:33 BST
Mohmed Salman Patel was found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brown in April 2016Mohmed Salman Patel was found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brown in April 2016
Mohmed Salman Patel was found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brown in April 2016

Mohmed Patel, 28, from Blackburn, was jailed for six years after being found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brow in April 2016.

Almost a year after Patel was jailed, and 10 months after he first began the appeal process, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has confirmed that Patel no longer intends to appeal his conviction.

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A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Appeals Unit said: "We have now been informed by the Court of Appeal that Mohmed Patel has abandoned his appeal against sentence."

Mohmed Salman Patel was found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brown in April 2016Mohmed Salman Patel was found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brown in April 2016
Mohmed Salman Patel was found guilty of causing the deaths of Rachel Murphy, 23, and Shelby Maher, 17 as the pair crossed the A59 at Brockholes Brown in April 2016

Patel had been in the process of re-appealing his conviction and sentencing after the CPS refused his initial appeal in May.

The decision came after more than 1,000 people had signed a petition calling for the CPS to refuse Patel his appeal.

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Brockholes Brow death crash driver is refused appeal against 6 year sentence

But in June, the Appeals Unit revealed that Patel had renewed his application for leave to appeal against his sentence.

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Shelby Maher, 17, was taken to hospital where she later died of cardiac arrest, after suffering catastrophic injuries in the collisionShelby Maher, 17, was taken to hospital where she later died of cardiac arrest, after suffering catastrophic injuries in the collision
Shelby Maher, 17, was taken to hospital where she later died of cardiac arrest, after suffering catastrophic injuries in the collision

The matter was due to be listed for a renewal hearing later this year, but this has now been vacated.

During his trial at Preston Crown Court in August 2018, Patel had been accused of texting his girlfriend just seconds before hitting Rachel and Shelby head-on.

Patel pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, but was later found guilty by the jury.

He was sentenced to six years on each of the two charges and banned from driving for nine years.