Driver who mowed down Rebecca Steer outside Oswestry takeaway is guilty of murder
An Oswestry man faces a life sentence after being found guilty of the murder of a 22-year-old woman who was hit and killed after he ploughed his car into a crowd outside an Oswestry takeaway.
Stephen McHugh, 28, has also been found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm following a two-week trial at Stafford Crown Court.
McHugh of Artillery Road, Park Hall, had admitted the manslaughter of Rebecca Steer of Llanymynech in Willow Street, Oswestry, in the early hours of October 9 last year, but had denied murder.
The 28-year-old had also denied attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Kyle Roberts, who was also injured in the incident outside the Grill Out fast food takeaway.
On Thursday, a jury by a majority verdict of 11-1 found McHugh guilty of both charges, after nearly nine hours of deliberation.
During the trial, the court had heard how McHugh had no driving licence and had been drinking heavily and was high on cocaine at the time of the incident last year.
The jury heard how he had "used his car as a weapon" and deliberately drove into the crowd of young people outside the takeaway, following an earlier altercation where McHugh had kicked a young man in the head.
Prosecutor Kevin Hegarty KC had told the court that McHugh was "angry" after this altercation and wanted to take "the opportunity to continue the violence he had started" and that Miss Steer had been an "innocent bystander".
The court was told he had stopped his car outside the Grill Out takeaway where he had "exchanged words" with a crowd at around 2.50am, before McHugh reversed his car and then drove forward, mounting the pavement.
McHugh then "proceeded to drive through the group of people".
Police released a short CCTV video of the moments before McHugh drove into the crowd:
"He did not sound his horn," Mr Hegarty had told the court. "We say he used his car as a weapon. He used the power and weight of the car to strike the group."
Miss Steer died of "catastrophic internal injuries" after being hit by McHugh's car, while Mr Roberts was seriously injured in the incident.
After the verdict was given, McHugh swore at the jury.
He is to be sentenced at the same court on Friday.
