Two men jailed after horror crash kills mum of five in Wigan
Joanne Bailey Collinge's car was hit head on following the incident back in April.
Last updated 17th Oct 2019
Two men are starting jail terms after a high speed crash which killed a mum of five in Wigan.
A car driven by 34-year-old Joanne Bailey Collinge was hit head on following the incident back in April.
CCTV shows how the tragedy unfolded on the 20th April, just outside the Bryn Hall pub on Bolton Road.
21 year old Lewis Fisher, from Wigan, smashed an object through the window of a parked car belonging to 27 year old Joseph Pownall from Golborne. That resulted in a high speed chase through residential streets.
The footage shows the two cars chasing each other down Bickershaw Lane, dodging traffic and swerving onto the wrong side of the road at speeds of up to 75mph in a 30 zone.
The drivers eventually lost control on a left hand bend and careered head on into Joanne's car.
She was killed, while her husband and two of her children suffered serious injuries.
Pownall failed to stop at the scene and abandoned the vehicle nearby. He then contacted his friend, 43 year old Steven Fairclough, who conspired to falsely report the vehicle stolen.
Sergeant Joseph Barron from GMP Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “I can only hope that as they begin their custodial sentences the true gravity of their actions and the lasting effect it will have on all those involved will sink in.
“My thoughts are with the family of Mrs Collinge and with those still recovering from the incident. One of her daughter’s received life-changing injuries as a result of the collision.
“Also injured were another of Mrs Collige’s daughters and her husband.
“The collision has affected their whole family and I hope today’s sentence will go some way towards helping them grieve and come to terms with their loss.
“Both Pownall and Fisher initially denied responsibility for the death of Mrs Collinge, and failed to take any responsibility for their actions on that day. It was only when met with the irrefutable evidence of his guilt at his second Crown Court appearance that Pownall admitted his guilt.
“The evidence against them has been tirelessly collected and compiled by GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit. Fisher has never taken responsibility for his actions – forcing the family to endure the further upset of this going to trial.”
Joseph Pownall was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and perverting the course of Justice.
Lewis Fisher was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Steven Fairclough, of Elm Avenue, Golborne pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to one year in custody suspended for 12 months.