48 years’ jail for four men responsible for killing mum with stolen lorry

The four men responsible for killing a ‘much loved’ South Yorkshire mum during a ‘highly dangerous criminal escapade’ in a stolen lorry have been jailed for a combined total of 48-and-a-half years.
Jacqueline Wileman (left) and the four defendants. Pictured top left Karn Hill, Wayne Carroll, bottom left, Alan Wawhinney, David Mellor.Jacqueline Wileman (left) and the four defendants. Pictured top left Karn Hill, Wayne Carroll, bottom left, Alan Wawhinney, David Mellor.
Jacqueline Wileman (left) and the four defendants. Pictured top left Karn Hill, Wayne Carroll, bottom left, Alan Wawhinney, David Mellor.

Jacqueline Wileman, 58, was killed instantly when she was hit by a stolen lorry as she was power-walking on Common Lane in Brierley, Barnsley on September 14 last year.

Karn Hill was driving the HGV Tractor Unit, with David Mellor, Alan Mawhinney and Wayne Carroll as passengers, when he lost control of the vehicle as it turned a corner travelling at the lorry’s maximum speed of 55 miles per hour (mph).

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Hill pleaded guilty to causing Mrs Wileman’s death by dangerous driving at a hearing held last year, while Mellor, Mawhinney and Carroll were convicted of the charge yesterday, following a two-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

Carroll was also found guilty of aggravated vehicle taking, while Mawhinney and Mellor pleaded guilty to the offence.

During a hearing held this morning, The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC, sentenced Hill to 10 years, six months in prison, after applying the 25 per cent reduction due to the 23-year-old for his guilty plea.

Mellor, 48, who stole the vehicle from his employer was jailed for 13 years, while his fellow passengers Mawhinney, 53, and Carroll, 29, were jailed for 12-and-a-half years each.

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As he sent them to prison, Judge Richardson told the four men: “Each one of you played a pivotal role in this protracted, persistent, determined, and highly dangerous criminal escapade. You gave not a thought to the safety of others, and exposed many people to the risk of death and serious injury whilst you executed what you thought was a caper, but in truth was an exceptionally malevolent course of conduct which had an inevitable disastrous and catastrophic conclusion.

“You killed an innocent pedestrian and nearly killed a cyclist in the dreadful event in the village of Brierley. It is nothing short of chance that more people were not killed or maimed by your conduct. You caused a massive amount of damage and wrecked a family home when you careered into the gable-end of a house.”

Judge Richardson described Mrs Wileman as someone who was a ‘wholly innocent victim’ and was ‘much loved’ by her family.

The four men were also disqualified from driving for 10 years each.