A "cowboy roofer" led authorities on a perilous 70mph pursuit through Birmingham's streets, culminating in a devastating incident where his van veered onto a golf course, fatally striking a mother-of-three in front of her husband. The driver, John McDonald, 52, now faces sentencing for this horrific event that has deeply impacted the community and raised concerns about public safety during police chases.
Dangerous Pursuit and Tragic Collision
The harrowing 12-minute chase saw McDonald driving recklessly, mounting pavements, and intentionally ramming a pursuing police car at least eight times. The pursuit ended at Aston Wood Golf Club in Shenstone, Staffordshire, on April 11 last year. Suzanne Cherry, 62, was playing golf with her husband, Clint Harrison, and was searching for her ball near a stream when McDonald's van tragically hit her. She sustained catastrophic injuries and passed away in the hospital four days later, just a day before her 63rd birthday. Mr. Harrison recounted shouting a warning to his wife upon seeing the van emerge, but tragically, she "could not possibly have got out of the way," witnessing the horrific moment his wife's life was senselessly taken.
The Impact of a Life Cut Short and Legal Proceedings
Worcester Crown Court heard emotional victim impact statements from Suzanne's loved ones, who were present in the public gallery. Her husband described how Suzanne’s life was "violently and senselessly ended" by the defendant's actions. The court was informed that Suzanne had suffered multiple strokes and would have faced severe disability had she survived, leading to the difficult decision to withdraw treatment. McDonald, along with his son Johnny McDonald, 23, and passenger Brett Delaney, 35, fled the scene after the collision. McDonald later admitted to causing death by dangerous driving on the day his trial was set to begin, having previously denied manslaughter. His sentencing hearing is currently underway.
Underlying Fraud Scheme Revealed
Beyond the fatal chase, the court uncovered a dark secret: all three defendants were involved in a large-scale fraud scheme. Operating under the name "Approved Roofs Ltd," they conned elderly women out of thousands of pounds by performing unnecessary and shoddy roof repairs. Prosecutor Michael Burrows KC highlighted their practice of charging "exorbitant amounts for bad work," leaving victims feeling pressured and exploited. Four identified victims, aged 61 to 88, were deceived, with one losing nearly £10,000 and requiring an additional £7,000 to fix the damage caused by the defendants. The police pursuit that led to Suzanne Cherry's death began when officers spotted the group following an elderly customer to a cash machine for payment after completing their fraudulent activities.
Image Captions
Suzanne Cherry died in hospital from her injuries a day before her 63rd birthday (Picture: Family Handout/PA)
John McDonald hit Suzanne Cherry as she played golf, while he led police on a 12-minute pursuit (Picture: Staffordshire Police/PA)
Brett Delaney was travelling in a van driven by John McDonald (Picture: Staffordshire Police/PA)
Jonny McDonald was also travelling in the van at the time of the fatal collision (Picture: Staffordshire Police/PA)