Standing in a hotel lobby, Tom Ferguson takes a swig from a half empty bottle of a rum. He is intoxicated and unsteady on his feet and clings to a desk to keep his balance.
Ferguson had just been ordered to leave the Premier Inn in Stockport, where he had been on a four-day bender, over his ‘disruptive behaviour’. When the hotel manager visited his room to check he was leaving, she found him lying on the bed in his boxers, surrounded by nine empty bottles of Captain Morgan’s rum.
After coming round, a drunken Ferguson went to reception wearing untied trainers and told the woman: “I’m leaving now.” CCTV footage then captured him staggering towards his BMW in the car park of the hotel.
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Despite being more than double the drink-drive limit, he decided to get behind the wheel of the car. Driving at more than twice the speed limit, he swerved between lanes as he raced up Buxton Road.
Moments later, he mounted a pavement, mowing down and killing Robert Palmer in a hit-and-run. The 77-year-old and his wife, Margaret, were walking back to their car after a hospital appointment when he was hit on the morning of November 9 of last year.
Ferguson, 29, was jailed for 12 years at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday (March 8). Following the hearing, police have released footage that shows the drunken state that Ferguson was in prior to the crash.
The video shows him drinking from a bottle of rum before leaving the hotel and staggering towards his white BMW 1 Series while ‘not walking in a straight line’.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard that other hotel guests saw him stumbling around the carpark. He then got into the driver's seat and left, clipping a fence on the way out.
Meanwhile, Mr Palmer and his wife Margaret were walking to the car park at Sainsburys following an appointment at Stepping Hill Hospital. Mr Palmer was walking closest to the road to protect his wife from traffic, before he was hit by Ferguson’s BMW.
Ferguson was seen mounting the pavement before hitting Mr Palmer, who was thrown over 20 metres down the pavement.
Ferguson briefly slowed down before driving off. One man who saw the crash chased him and used his car to block him off before he crashed into a lamppost.
When the police arrived, Ferguson struggled to maintain his balance, and when told what he'd done, said: “Have I? Sorry mate, I didn’t even know. “I’ve skittled someone over, haven’t I? I didn’t mean to do what I have done.”
He suffered a seizure before he was taken to hospital. Ferguson provided a reading of 199 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
At the scene, forensic officers found three empty bottles of Captain Morgan’s rum in the passenger side of the car.
The court heard Ferguson has previous convictions for drink driving; driving while uninsured; driving without a licence; and driving while disqualified. He was handed a number of suspended sentence orders for offences of burglary; affray; and driving while disqualified.
Henry Blackshaw, mitigating, said his client was diagnosed with ADHD and mixed depressive anxiety disorder, but was not properly medicated at the time. He said Ferguson also suffered a traumatic head injury just months before, and had suffered a recent bereavement of a close friend.
Ferguson had checked into the hotel on November 6 during a mental health crisis but continuously checked out and in over the course of a number of days. Police and paramedics carried out a welfare check on November 7, but after the hotel received complaints about him, they decided it was time for him to leave.
When they entered his room to inform him, they found nine empty bottles of rum. “He was in a dark place - a self destructive spiral of drinking,” Mr Blackshaw said. “He has written a letter to the court expressing his genuine remorse.”
Ferguson had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving; driving without insurance; driving while uninsured; and failing to stop after a road accident.
Sentencing Ferguson, who hung his head and wept throughout the hearing, Judge Joanne Woodward said: “You failed to heed the warning and orders of the court. It was almost inevitable your path to disaster was set. You showed a casual disregard for the safety of others, with such tragic consequences.
“You seem unable or unwilling to stop driving. I accept you are sorry for what you did, but it’s taken killing someone to come to your senses."
Ferguson, of no fixed address, was jailed for 12 years, of which he will serve two thirds in prison, before being considered for release by the Parole Board. He will then be subject to an extended licence period of three years. Ferguson was also banned from the roads for five years.
In an impact statement read our in court, Mr Palmer's wife of 59-years said: “This person destroyed the love of my life and my best friend. Robert was an exceptional person about whom everyone had a good word to say. He was kind, caring and considerate, and respectful of others.
“My life will never be the same. I am very lonely after being loved so well by Robert and for so long. Robert was the love of my life and I would give anything to have him back for another hug from him.
"The selfish individual, yes you, that took Robert’s life away and left so many people bereft, will never be forgiven for what you have done to our family and for the void you have left in our lives.”
Following the hearing, Detective Constable Liam Carolan from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “Firstly, I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Robert Palmer. 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 that he would position himself on the outside of the pathway to protect her from traffic. His deepest fears sadly became a reality when he was hit by Tom Ferguson’s BMW.
“Ferguson’s actions were ridiculously irresponsible, 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.
“The entire team involved in this investigation worked tirelessly to ensure that Ferguson was put behind bars and remained there.
“I am really pleased with the length of sentencing that was passed today, and I hope this provides some sort of closure for Robert’s family and friends.”
