Speeding driver who ran over and killed Irish pensioner is jailed for 14 years

Anop Singh (31) had been earlier been kicked out of a club with pals for spraying champagne before he struck John ‘Frank’ Heneghan with his VW Golf in the early hours of August 12, 2017.

He then drove over his body to escape, before driving back to his home on Jessam Avenue with a smashed windscreen and a black eye.

He called the police saying he had been in an accident but he did not know how the Golf had ended up outside his house.

Mr Heneghan from Kilmaine, Co Mayo, had played clarinet in an Irish Army band as a teenager and in 1963 he performed for JFK at Shannon Airport and shook the president’s hand.

He had been visiting friends in London was out with Michael Herlin and Gerry Rafferty when they took a bus from Tottenham to Stamford Hill after closing time.

Mr Heneghan got off alone on High Road Tottenham, when Mr Herlin told Wood Green Crown Court in a statement: “The next thing I heard was a screeching noise, really loud.

“Almost instantly I saw something flying past the screen. I didn’t know what it was.

"The bus driver stopped and everyone got off and the driver said I think that’s your mate."

When they got off the bus, they realised their friend lay seriously injured in the road.

"When we saw Frank there was nothing we could do, the police were there."

Mr Rafferty described the moments after the crash and when he realised his friend had been struck down in another statement.

He said: "Everyone on the bus was looking over. I heard people gasping in disbelief and then I saw a body flying across.

"I saw a car, not sure what it was, maybe a black Golf. I saw the car pause for a brief moment and then it drove over the person to get away.

"By the time I got to the person, someone was near them on their knees calling an ambulance. Then I realised it was Frank."

Mr Heneghan was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics shortly before 2am.

Louise Oakley, prosecuting, said: “By his (Singh’s) own admission, that night he had consumed a quantity of alcohol, three or four shots, a pint of Guinness and a pint of lager.

“He told the custody sergeant that he had smoked a couple of spliffs.

“Because he did not call police immediately, police did not attend the address until eight in the morning and there was no sample of breath or blood.”

The court heard that Singh attempted to hide the blood and shards of glass on his clothes by washing and drying them.

Singh was eventually convicted after four trials.

He has 12 convictions for 15 offences, including for drinking driving after he had killed Mr Heneghan.

Seven jurors from the trial returned to see Singh receive 14 years in prison as well as a 14-year driving ban.