A lorry driver who killed a mother of two in a horrific motorway collision unleashed a ‘battering ram’ after using his phone at the wheel, a court has heard.
James Majury, 33, opened a number of apps during his journey including medieval fantasy game Hustle Castle and Sky Sports News, as well as sending text messages to his mother before he killed a schoolboy and a Southport mother-of-two in a motorway collision.
School support worker Anne Kerr, 50, from Southport, died from her injuries at the scene on the M58 at Bickerstaffe, Lancashire, on January 8 last year.
A court heard this week how James Majury used his mobile phone multiple times, including to access a gaming app, prior to the crash.
Francis McEntee, prosecuting, said: “The Crown say the defendant had been more engaged with Facebook than the road ahead.
Before the crash at 8.42am, there were warning signs of a lane closure on the approaching exit slip road and there was an obvious build-up of queuing traffic, Preston Crown Court heard.
Father-of-one Majury remained at the scene following the crash and tried to help free the injured from the minibus, but also attempted to minimise his culpability, said Mr McEntee.
In a statement read to the court, Mrs Kerr’s husband Simon said: “There are no winners for anybody involved in this. I hope that people will remember this and think about the devastation that has been caused before picking up their phone whilst driving.”
In February, Majury, of Milton Road, Coppull, Chorley, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and five counts of causing serious injury and was remanded in custody.
Sentencing will take place on Friday from 10.30am.
“He displayed a total disregard for the rules of the road and the apparent danger caused to other road users.
“He had effectively unleashed a 19.2-tonne battering ram on the M58 with devastating effect on the lives of his victims.”
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