'Selfish' thug stole car before high-speed police pursuit which resulted in death of beloved mum

A ‘selfish’ thug stole an Audi before leading police on a high-speed pursuit which resulted in the catastrophic death of a beloved mum. Marcel Doyle, 47, stole the car from a driveway as a man was waiting to take his wife to work.

He then was caught on CCTV switching the registration plates before overtaking an unmarked police car at speed. As the car followed him down a number of streets in Royton, Oldham, they reached speeds of 80mph, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

As he was making his way down Oldham Road, Heather Smedley was at the front of a line of traffic waiting to turn right onto Otmoor Way. Doyle then turned into the junction, narrowly avoiding Mrs Smedley.

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The police car, which was one second behind Doyle, then collided with the side of Mrs Smedley’s car. She sustained multiple injuries and sadly died at the scene.

Doyle, having pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, was today (July 4) jailed for 14 years and 11 months.

The police officer involved in the collision is currently under investigation, police watchdog Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed earlier this year.

Prosecuting, Sara Haque told of a separate incident on April 4 last year, in which Doyle had been one of two masked men who stormed a house on Richmond Avenue, armed with baseball bats.

The victim was forced inside as the men smashed up the house, before he armed himself with a large knife from his fishing kit. Doyle attacked the man, hitting him ‘many times’ with the baseball bat, before the man responded by swinging the large knife at him.

Neighbours heard the fracas and called the police. Doyle was later