Man admits causing golf course crash death

A man has admitted killing a woman hit by a van on a golf course.

Suzanne Cherry, 62, died in hospital in April, four days after she was hit at Aston Wood Golf Club in Staffordshire by a grey Nissan, which had been involved in a police pursuit.

John McDonald, 51, of Booth Street in Bloxwich, West Midlands, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

He is expected to be sentenced later today at Worcester Crown Court.

McDonald, and co-defendants Johnny McDonald, 23, of Molyneux Road in Dudley, and Brett Delaney, 35, of Michael Road in Darlaston, all pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit fraud between 17 February and 12 April last year by making false representations that roofing work was needed when it was not.

All three men had previously denied manslaughter charges last year.

Cherry, from Aldridge, was killed “while enjoying what should have been the safest” of her many hobbies, her husband Clint Harrison said.

He said his “beautiful wife” had an “amazing and infectious zest for life” before their “future together was snatched away in an instant”.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the fatal crash and the involvement of West Midlands Police officers.

The watchdog said two patrol cars had started following a van in Kingstanding, Birmingham, after receiving reports of suspicious activity.

They stopped following the van when it came off the road and went up an embankment at Aston Wood Golf Club, where it hit Cherry.

Prosecution barrister Michael Burrows KC told the court that in spring last year, the three men “were involved in a fraud on elderly householders”, charging “exorbitant amounts” for carrying out bad roof repairs.

On 11 April, a police officer in a marked vehicle saw them “by chance” and decided to follow them, after one of them turned their head away after noticing her, the court heard.

The van was driven off at high speed, sometimes on the wrong side of the road and on the pavement with McDonald even using it to ram the police car by reversing into it, Burrows said.

McDonald then drove the van into the golf club and on to the first fairway.

“Suzanne Cherry was playing golf with her husband. She had just played her second shot and was looking for her ball near a stream,” Burrows said.

“Her husband heard the sound of the van and saw it heading at high speed straight towards his wife.

“He shouted to her but there was no time for her to react. The van crashed into her, causing her fatal injuries.

“The van came to a halt and the three defendants quickly got out and ran off together. Clint Harrison shouted after them: ‘You’ve killed my wife’.