Mum left to die after being mowed down by speeding driver in hit-and-run days before Christmas - before coward blamed HER

A beloved mum crossing the road on her way to a meal with her husband was left to die after being mowed down by a speeding driver. John Brazil hit 60-year-old Anne Jones while driving a Mercedes A180 at twice the speed limit.

Instead of stopping, Brazil, 28, fled the scene and left Mrs Jones gravely injured. Brazil should not have been behind the wheel of a car because he was banned from driving at the time of the horror crash.

He handed himself in the next day, but even then tried to avoid the blame - telling police officers: "It wasn't my fault, she just ran out." But Minshull Street Crown Court heard that the collision would never have happened if Brazil hadn't been driving at 60mph in a 30mph zone on Edenfield Road in Rochdale.

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Brazil later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, and has now been jailed for nine years and nine months. About two dozen members of Mrs Jones' devastated family packed the courtroom as distressing details of the case were disclosed.

Mrs Jones was well known within Rochdale council, having worked for many years as a personal assistant to the leader of the authority. She was offered jobs working for the town's MPs, but declined because she didn't want to be away from her family.

Well wishers lined the streets on the day of her funeral, while more than 400 people attended the service. Addressing Brazil, Mrs Jones' husband Mark said: "You are a coward, you ran away from the situation.

"Society at large needs to be protected from John Brazil."

Prosecuting, Harriet Tighe told how Brazil got behind the wheel of a Mercedes belonging to a friend