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| Mark Slater guilty of A57 road rage murder | Mark Slater guilty of A57 road rage murder |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A lorry driver has been convicted of using his 17-tonne truck to murder another motorist. | A lorry driver has been convicted of using his 17-tonne truck to murder another motorist. |
| Mark Slater, 47, from Oldham, denied deliberately driving over the head of grandfather Trevor Allen, 56, from Salford, in a road rage attack. | |
| Mr Allen's body was found near his van on the A57 Manchester Road, Rixton, near Warrington, on 15 April. | Mr Allen's body was found near his van on the A57 Manchester Road, Rixton, near Warrington, on 15 April. |
| Slater admitted causing the victim's death but told the jury at Chester Crown Court he did not see him. | Slater admitted causing the victim's death but told the jury at Chester Crown Court he did not see him. |
| The court heard Mr Allen had got out of his Citroen Berlingo van and stood in front of the DAF truck and trailer driven by Slater. | The court heard Mr Allen had got out of his Citroen Berlingo van and stood in front of the DAF truck and trailer driven by Slater. |
| Slater made no reaction when he was found guilty. He was remanded in custody and now faces an automatic life sentence. | |
| Many members of Mr Allen's family burst into tears in the public gallery as the verdict was delivered. | |
| Outside court his eldest sister Muriel Farrell, 62, from Middleton said of her brother's killer: "I hope he rots in hell, I really do. We were all praying today for that murder verdict." | |
| Widower Mr Allen, a father-of-three and grandfather-of-four, was also a truck driver and HGV instructor. | |
| Mrs Farrell said her family believed her brother may have spotted Slater using his phone while driving shortly before the attack. | |
| He may have indicated to Slater to get off the phone - sparking the fatal confrontation, his family said. | |
| 'Overtaking session' | 'Overtaking session' |
| The defendant had claimed he was involved in an "overtaking session" with Mr Allen, who had thrown coins at the window of his cab. | The defendant had claimed he was involved in an "overtaking session" with Mr Allen, who had thrown coins at the window of his cab. |
| Slater, of Hillside Avenue, Oldham, said he simply did not see the victim standing in front of his vehicle. | |
| Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said Mr Allen was wearing a high visibility jacket and it was "obvious" he was standing in the road. | Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said Mr Allen was wearing a high visibility jacket and it was "obvious" he was standing in the road. |
| He accused Slater of being "a big man behind the wheel" and "bully" in his lorry on the A57. | He accused Slater of being "a big man behind the wheel" and "bully" in his lorry on the A57. |
| The court heard the lorry's tachograph showed it braking sharply before the incident and Slater "flooring" it to its maximum 54mph, exceeding the road's 40mph limit. | The court heard the lorry's tachograph showed it braking sharply before the incident and Slater "flooring" it to its maximum 54mph, exceeding the road's 40mph limit. |
| 'Raging bull' | 'Raging bull' |
| Earlier in the trial, the jury was told of two previous alleged road rage incidents involving Slater. | Earlier in the trial, the jury was told of two previous alleged road rage incidents involving Slater. |
| One motorist described him as a "raging bull" on the M62 in January last year. | One motorist described him as a "raging bull" on the M62 in January last year. |
| The incident was recorded on a "dash cam" and showed Slater kicking and punching the other vehicle. | The incident was recorded on a "dash cam" and showed Slater kicking and punching the other vehicle. |
| Det Insp Peter Case, of Cheshire Police, described the attack as "truly shocking". | Det Insp Peter Case, of Cheshire Police, described the attack as "truly shocking". |
| He said: "The injuries sustained by Mr Allen were horrific - whatever had happened between the pair leading up to this incident, nothing justified Slater behaving in the way he did that day." | |