A drunk driver who caused the death of a 77-year-old man as a result of his “dangerous” actions has been handed a lengthy prison sentence.
Tom Ferguson has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after causing the death of 77-year-old Robert Palmer late last year, it has been confirmed, and has also been banned from driving for 13 years on top of this.
The 29-year-old was sentenced last Friday (8 March 2024) after appearing in court.
Ferguson’s sentencing and driving ban comes after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called to were called to reports of a road traffic collision on Buxton Road in Stockport on Thursday 9 November 2023 at around 11:35am, and after officers arrived on the scene, it was found that a BMW 1 Series – which was being driven by Ferguson – was travelling in a south-eastern direction on Buxton Road, when it mounted the pavement on its nearside, and subsequently collided with a pedestrian near to junction of Fence Street.
Ferguson then re-joined the carriageway in the BM1 following the collision, and began to drive away from the scene.
But a member of the public who witnessed the collision was said to have “courageously chased him down” and “forced him off the road using his own vehicle” – which brought Ferguson to a stop at a set of traffic lights.
Buxton Road in Stockport, near to where the fatal collision occurred / Credit: Google Maps
After approaching the car, GMP says the member of the public confronted Ferguson and made reference to the fact that he’d collided with a pedestrian – only for Ferguson to respond by saying “Have I? Sorry mate, I didn’t even know.”
The pedestrian, Robert Palmer, was taken to hospital following the collision, but later tragically died as a result of his injuries.
Ferguson was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, and taken to police custody for questioning, before later being charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing death whilst disqualified, causing death whilst uninsured, and failing to stop at the scene of an accident on 11 November 2023.
A police investigation to establish the full circumstances of the incident was subsequently launched.
Police officers investigating events leading up to the time of the collision established that Ferguson has been staying at a hotel in the area, and was asked to leave by staff after “numerous complaints” of him being intoxicated.
#NEWS | Today, Tom Ferguson (24/08/1994) of no fixed abode was sentenced to 12 years in prison for causing the death of 77-year-old Robert Palmer.
He consumed nine-and-a-half litre bottles of rum over a two-day period prior to the collision.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) March 8, 2024
It was found that Ferguson consumed nine-and-a-half litre bottles of rum over a two-day period prior to the collision, and later forensic work also showed that he was two times over the legal limit to drive, despite being tested hours after the initial collision occurred.
Detective Constable Liam Carolan, from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, described Ferguson’s actions as “ridiculously irresponsible”.
DC Carolan continued, following Ferguson’s sentencing last week: “Getting behind the wheel of a car after a couple of drinks can have devastating effects, let alone driving after consuming nine-and-a-half bottles of rum over a two-day period.
“This is such a sad case of a husband accompanying his wife back from a hospital appointment. Robert’s wife described him as a true gentleman that he would always make sure he positioned himself on the outside of the pathway to protect her from traffic – but his deepest fears sadly became a reality when he was hit by Ferguson’s BMW.”
He added that the entire team involved in the investigation “worked tirelessly” to ensure Ferguson was “put behind bars and remained there”.
Featured Image – GMP
News
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
Emily Sergeant -
11th March 2024 
