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Death-crash driver was banned
Reporter: JENNIFER HOLLAMBY
Date online: 19/11/2008
THE man behind the wheel of car which crashed in Chadderton killing three people was banned from driving, it has emerged.
Paul Bunting (30) died, along with Christopher Morrison (23) and Cassie Fox (19) when the rented Vauxhall Vectra they were travelling in ploughed into a garden wall in Middleton Road following a high-speed police chase in the early hours of Sunday.
Another passenger, 18-year-old mother-of-two Claire Matthews remains critically ill in Hope Hospital following the accident.
A police patrol car had attempted to stop the Vectra after it ran a red light in Mumps at around 3.30am, but the Vauxhall sped off, with the officers in pursuit.
A CPS source today confirmed Bunting appeared before magistrates in February, this year, and was handed a 30-week suspended jail sentence for driving while disqualified.
He had not regained his licence at the time of his death.
In April, 2002, Bunting was jailed for six years for the attempted robbery of a Royton post office.
It has also emerged that Bunting was due to appear before Rochdale magistrates with two other men this Friday charged with affray, possessing an imitation firearm, possessing a knife and assault causing actual bodily harm. Bunting was alleged to have blinded the victim in one eye after stabbing him in the eye.
In August, 2007, he was given a 12-month community order and ordered to undergo 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to possession of Class A and Class C drugs.
Cassie’s distraight mum Sandra, paid a moving tribute to her daughter.
She said: “Cassie was a much-loved daughter, sister and mother of a two-year-old son.
“Everybody who knew Cassie liked her.
“She wasn’t just my daughter, she was my best friend. Her son Lewis James was her world and her life. Me, her brothers, her partner, and the rest of her family and friends miss her terribly.”
A tribute page has been set up for Cassie on the website gone toosoon.org.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has looked into the weekend’s crash and concluded that the officers involved acted properly. There will be no further investigation.
However, the Greater Manchester Police Standards Branch will continue to review the exact circumstances of the events leading up to the horrific crash.
Have Your Say
Agree with the previous comment - I had read exactly the same about it being a long term hire car. I feel so sorry for the innocent people involved in this, their families must surely be questionning why they got into a car with this driver.
here we are again diggin backgrounds on these poor lads who have died its a sad loss all round but dont think for one minute the police dont cover there backs cos they do thats why there diggin there backgrounds up guilty coincienses thats what im sayin about the police ..
"A CPS source today confirmed Bunting appeared before magistrates in February, this year, and was handed a 30-week suspended jail sentence for driving while disqualified."
So that worked then!
(Sorry my user name is not quite appropriate in this case.)
So now we now who's to blame for this tragic incident, the driver and NOT THE POLICE! The drivers family should be held accountable for their sons actions. To be be honest they should be prosecuted. How much longer does this have to go on of families not knowing what there children are up to, and because of this 2 innocent victims are dead, 1 lies in hospital critical and the other families have to pick up the pieces. The Bunting family should hang their heads in shame!
i agree with Lilly B,i would hate to lose a child and and feel really sorry for the families of the people who died and were injured in the crash,they were lovely children aparently,but lovely children don't go around robbing people and stabbing people,and taking drugs,i still send my sympathy to the families
Good to see no innocent people were injured. It's a shame about the damaged walls though.
Every paper I have read recently has mentioned the driver's bad past.
Ask yourself is this relevant? He has left behind a little girl who is now greving for a daddy she will never see again.
I feel a little more respect could be given, for him, his family and his daughter.
Why say such nasty things about someone who has sadly died everyone makes mistakes does that mean we all deserve to die in such a tragic way?
My sympathy goes out to all families in this tragic accident.
"The drivers family should be held accountable for their sons actions… they should be prosecuted" - IZZIE44 – Utter nonsense!
The driver was 30 yrs old, a convicted criminal of no fixed abode who was due in court for other serious crimes.
He alone is responsible for the accident and the lives lost, he should be held accountable, his family have lost also, but they are the ones left behind to bear the repercussions of his actions when they had no means to influence them
Mixed reaction then?
BROOKY - "Poor lads"?? They we're running from the police and putting innocents at risk!! They do not deserve any sympathy for that.
The loss of life is tragic, but, it was nobody's fault, except their own. Sounds like you've got a bit of a grudge against the police. I wonder why.
After reading all the comments-Brooky grudge aginst GMP there I think, there are good and bad in all walks of life, the person who helped him hire the car should be held accountable also - Bunting he was 30 for gods sake, he knew what he was doing, the parents will have enough to deal with, and when he got in that car that night KNOWING HE WAS BANNED did he think about his parents and child then? I think not!
I agree with you patsy2174 unfortunatley the driver is responsible for the tragic accicdent NOT HIS FAMILY, leave the family alone.
But may I add no one forced the other people to get in the car, they all got in with free will.
However again my sympathy goes out to all the families no one deserves to die the way they did.
Re the hire car aspect. The car was hired by somebody else, and being used, uninsured, by Mr Bunting. Obviously this is why he did not stop......
I fail to see why when people are already banned, the courts ban them again. What deterrent can prevent this, only jail. Every tv police program with a chase involved seems to involve the driver already being banned, and then he gets another ban on top of his ban....pathetic
'Poor lads' Brooky? You're having a laugh aren't you?
Jailed for 6 yrs. for attempted robbery of a Post Office, due to be charged with affray, possession of imitation firearm, possession of knife, assault causing ABH, allegedly stabbing a victim in the eye causing blindness, possession of Class A & C drugs and driving while disqualified causing the death of two other people, whilst another is still critically ill in hospital. I think what you meant to say is 'poor excuse for a human being.
I sit shaking my head whilst reading this, it was stated previoulsy that the driver was driving a hire car, How did he manage to get one, you have to show your licence and innsome cases your insurance,his endorsments would have been on hislicence and he wouldn't have been able to hold any insurance, lives lost through sheer stupidity and no doubt some showing off, a car is a lethal weapon when not handled correctly, lessons learned the hard way again
By LillyB @ 19/11/2008 14:18:35
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