A lorry driver has been convicted of using his 17-tonne truck to murder another motorist.
Mark Slater, 47, from Oldham, denied deliberately running over Trevor Allen, 56, from Salford, in a road rage attack.
Mr Allen’s body was found near his van on the A57 Manchester Road, Rixton, near Warrington, on 15 April.
Slater admitted causing the victim’s death but told the jury at Chester Crown Court he did not see him.
‘Overtaking session’
The court heard Mr Allen had got out of his Citroen Berlingo van and stood in front of the DAF truck and trailer driven by Slater while driving on the A57.
The defendant had claimed he was involved in an “overtaking session” with Mr Allen, who had thrown coins at the window of his cab.
Slater, of Hillside Avenue, said he simply did not see the victim standing in front of his vehicle.
Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said Mr Allen was wearing a high visibility jacket and it was “obvious” he was standing in the road.
albion1971:
He accused Slater of being “a big man behind the wheel” and “bully” in his lorry on the A57.
Far to many like him on our roads these days.
far too many road users (car, truck, cycle, motorcyle) think they the big man when they get in or on there machine.
correct I know mark very well and used to work with him twenty years ago, an accident NOT murder! but if you use your wheels as a weapon, he deserves his punishment for a moment of madness! still he’ll be out in five years max
I always thought you had to “get up that morning intending to kill” for it to be “murder”?
How much longer before even getting behind the wheel of a lgv constitutes “intent”?
Just another notching down in the public eyes of the profession of LGV driver I fear.
We must have already fallen past bankers and estate agents by now…
What does it take for a lorry driver to be in the wrong on here?
A known road rage driver runs over someone and people defend him.
Everytime a lorry hits another up the arse there’s always someone on here creating an excuse.
About time we all acknowledged that we have retards infesting our profession.
That saying the deceased sounded like the sort of driver you’d happily avoid if he wears a hi viz out of work, throws coins at peoples’ cabs and plays policeman.
Not saying the driver doesn’t deserve 15 years, but on the same day a scumbag lowest of them all killer of a defenceless little baby gets a 9 year sentence in Wales.
Most child killers don’t get 15 years minimum ive noticed.
If you drive any vehicle at or over someone especially as in this case where he knew the victim was in front you are just as guilty of murder as the person who stabs or shoots his victim. Eddie.
Winseer:
I always thought you had to “get up that morning intending to kill” for it to be “murder”?
It doesn’t matter what time you decide to kill someone. You could mull it over at breakfast if you like. You could decide over a spot of lunch. You could lose all sense of reason and self control in a split second and drive over someone’s head because he threw coins at your lorry.
You don’t have to roll out of bed with murderous thoughts in your head to become a murderer.
NewLad:
Judge wants to get his facts right, EVERYONE knows that if your vehicle doesn’t bend then it’s a VAN not a “17 tonne lorry”
It did bend and the judge will have got his facts right. That lorry would have been gone over with a fine tooth comb. Everything would have been looked at… including its weight at the time of the incident.
Presumably there was witnesses that said he could see the bloke before he ran him over as it does sound like manslaughter otherwise. Bloke deserved some serious time regardless.
Apparently the bloke crushed was an HGV instructor.
NewLad:
Judge wants to get his facts right, EVERYONE knows that if your vehicle doesn’t bend then it’s a VAN not a “17 tonne lorry”
It did bend and the judge will have got his facts right. That lorry would have been gone over with a fine tooth comb. Everything would have been looked at… including its weight at the time of the incident.
Winseer:
I always thought you had to “get up that morning intending to kill” for it to be “murder”?
It doesn’t matter what time you decide to kill someone. You could mull it over at breakfast if you like. You could decide over a spot of lunch. You could lose all sense of reason and self control in a split second and drive over someone’s head because he threw coins at your lorry.
You don’t have to roll out of bed with murderous thoughts in your head to become a murderer.
You do to get a convicted for first degree murder though (usually)
If Slater had ran him down while the victim was trying to get away then yes he deserves murder but the victim was out his van, stood in front of the truck probably goading him on or trying to get him to come out and ‘‘sort it out’’ ! He contributed to his own death unfortunately so IMO manslaughter would have been far more appropriate for the crime.
I know mark very well and used to work with him twenty years ago, an accident NOT murder! 
but if you use your wheels as a weapon, he deserves his punishment for a moment of madness! 
still he’ll be out in five years max 
