"Mercedes Says THEIR CARS JUST DON'T BLOW UP!": The Michael Hastings Car Crash

[Segami]

100. Well, sometimes the crash itself is the evidence of murder.

Man jailed for murdering wife in car crash after disabling airbag


A former commercial airline pilot has been jailed for life after being convicted of deliberately driving his car into a tree to murder his wife in an "act of pure evil".

Iain Lawrence, 53, disabled the passenger airbag and moments before ploughing his car into the tree unclipped his wife Sally's seatbelt, because he could not cope with the break-up of their 12-year marriage.

On 6 October last year, just two days before the final part of the couple's divorce was due to be granted, Lawrence ploughed his car into a tree on Gartree Road in Oadby, Leicestershire at more than 50mph.

Mrs Lawrence died of "catastrophic" injuries, while her husband was uninjured after adopting the brace position during the collision.

Mr Justice Leggatt said: "It is clear to me from the evidence that you had two motives for murdering Sally. One was that you could not and would not accept that your marriage was over and were determined that Sally would never leave you.

"Your other motive was financial gain. You refused to accept that Sally should have the money from the house, although you had been advised that it was her due."

Lawrence had denied murder and claimed he suffered a leg spasm in the moments before the crash that left him unable to touch the brakes.

The jury heard Lawrence feigned unconsciousness in the driver's seat when passers-by stopped to help.

Witnesses described Lawrence, who initially told police he had no memory of the crash, as squeezing his eyes shut "like a child" at the scene.

The court heard details of the crash came back to him "in a nightmare" a month later.

Mr Justice Leggatt said: "The evidence at this trial has clearly established how you killed Sally. As you approached the spot which was your target, you reached across and unclipped her seatbelt. Then you steered the car at the tree and drove straight into it at over 50mph.

"You had the protection of an airbag and seatbelt – protection you had made sure that Sally did not have; and to protect yourself further you got into the brace position before the crash.

"It was not chance but the results of your careful and cold-blooded planning, that you came away from the collision with a few bruises, while Sally died of catastrophic injuries.

"You thought that the crash would be seen as a tragic accident and that you would get away with murder. You would indeed have done so it if had not been for the careful and thorough investigation carried out by the police."

Family and friends of Mrs Lawrence clapped and shouted "yes" from the public gallery as the verdict was read out.

cont'






http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/26/murder-car-crash-airbag-iain-sally-lawrence