A grandma died five months after sustaining extensive leg and pelvic injuries when a drunk and drugged motorist purposefully smashed into her home in an apparent suicide attempt following a violent argument with his partner.
Edna Kearns, a 93-year-old retired civil servant, suffered serious injuries when she was catapulted from her bed after Michael Vose, 40, drove his 155mph BMW X6 through her bedroom wall at 5 a.m., following an argument with his girlfriend.
The victim, a great-grandmother from Westhoughton, Greater Manchester, was rescued from the wreckage and underwent life-saving surgery on her legs, pelvis, and broken ankle; nonetheless, she died five months later owing to a blood clot in her lungs and deep vein thrombosis.
Edna Kearns, a retired civil servant, died on November 28, 2021, five months after Michael Vose intentionally wrecked his BMW X6 into her cottage in Westhoughton, near Bolton, Greater Manchester.
Michael Vose, left, had an argument with his partner after a binge of alcohol and drugs, then drove away before smashing into Ms. Kearns’ bungalow on purpose.
The 155 mph SUV slammed through the front fence and into Ms. Kearns’ room.
According to experts, her death was unrelated to the injuries she sustained when her home was destroyed.
Vose, a £60,000-per-year construction site manager from St. Helens, Merseyside, was observed limping away from the scene of the accident without seeking for help. Later, when police found him wandering in the center of a dual road, he was apprehended.
Tests revealed that Vose was about five times the legal limit for drugs and more than twice the legal limit for alcohol. He then attributed his behavior to mental health difficulties and stated he was suicidal.
At Bolton Crown Court, Mrs. Kearns’ relatives branded Vose as a murderer as he was sentenced to four years in prison for inflicting serious injury by hazardous driving, criminal damage, and a separate assault offense. In addition, he was given a five-year driving prohibition that will begin when he is freed on parole in 2024.
After determining that Mrs. Kearns’ death could not be attributed to the collision, prosecutors chose not to charge him with the more serious offense of causing death by reckless driving. The maximum possible punishment for causing serious injury while driving recklessly is five years.
Sentencing Judge Martin Walsh told Vose, ‘You drove away in an intoxicated, emotionally charged, and extremely agitated state, and the force of the collision was so great that your vehicle breached the wall of Mrs. Kearns’ bungalow and struck the victim as she slept in her own bed.’
Ms. Kearns, pictured with her granddaughter Lesley, sustained severe injuries and required surgery to save her life on her legs, pelvis, and broken ankle.
However, experts concluded that Ms. Kearns’ death was not directly related to her injuries.
These activities were violent and impulsive. You made a deliberate decision to drive aggressively when your driving abilities was severely impaired due to your excessive ingestion of alcohol and cocaine. The method in which you drive is of the utmost gravity.
Earlier, Vose wept via a video link from Forest Bank jail as Mrs. Kearns’s testimony to police was read out while she was still receiving treatment for her injuries.
It stated, “What transpired irrevocably altered my life.” Prior to the past five years, I was quite autonomous and surviving. This has absolutely taken that away from me. I would have died if it weren’t for my neighbors and the emergency services pulling me from the rubble.
She continued, “I’ve experienced leg agony before, but it’s nothing compared to what I’m experiencing now.” The pain is so unbearable that I’d rather die. At the time of this remark, I have been living in a nightgown for three months, and I cannot wait to get home and put on my own clothing and fix my hair and nails. I simply wish to return home and resume my normal life, but I will never be the same person again.
The incident occurred on November 28, 2012, after Vose had consumed cocaine and lager for seven hours while out with his girlfriend Lisa Kelly in Westhoughton area bars.
The incident occurred on November 28, 2012, after Vose had consumed cocaine and lager for seven hours while out with his girlfriend Lisa Kelly in Westhoughton area bars.
At the end of the night, he drove her back to Miss Kelly’s apartment, where she awoke at 5 a.m. to find Vose raging at her and accusing her of infidelity.
During the ensuing argument, he placed his hands twice around his girlfriend’s neck and then went on a horrifying rampage around her apartment, destroying a large bedroom mirror and punching a hole in the wall with his bare hands, among other things.
As Miss Kelly dialed 999, Vose escaped the blood-splattered apartment and hopped into his BMW, driving out into the night.
The prosecutor, Alistair Reid, stated, “Before he went, he was heard yelling that he was going to kill himself.” He drove at a mini-roundabout and then crossed directly over to a railing fence before entering the cottage. Officers could find no evidence to suggest that this was not a premeditated act. There was no sign of loss of control or skidding.
The automobile slammed through Mrs. Kearns’ home’s fence and bedroom wall while she was sleeping. The front wheels of the BMW collided with her bed, causing it to be dragged and turned by 90 degrees.
A neighbor who heard the crash observed a man wobbling outside the residence before he walked away from the site without any apparent effort to seek aid.
‘A passenger in a taxi stopped at the scene after hearing Mrs. Kearns’s cries for help and dialed 911 while calming the victim as best she could. The fire department had to remove debris from Mrs. Kearns’ bed before she could be transported to the hospital. Significant structural damage was done to the home.
Mrs. Kearns was hospitalized for three months until February of this year, after which she was transferred to a nursing facility. Later readmitted to Bolton Hospital, she passed away on April 8 (pictured: her badly damaged house)
Mrs. Kearns was hospitalized for three months until February of this year, after which she was transferred to a nursing facility. Later, she was readmitted to Bolton Hospital, where she died on April 8
Mr. Reid stated, “Mrs. Kearns’ family has also made extremely emotional declarations.” The prosecution must concede that its assertion that Vose is responsible for Mrs. Kearns’ later death is not relevant to the court’s sentence decision.
‘However, it is evident that the family has suffered emotional damage as a result of what transpired. Her son emphasizes his mother’s lack of autonomy previous to this episode. The defendant disregarded traffic regulations and posed a grave threat to others.
Mrs. Kearns always left a light on at night to indicate that her residence was occupied, thus it was always likely that someone was home that evening.
When Vose was located on the dual highway, he had swollen hands and a huge head wound, and he was belligerent and confrontational with the cops.
Vose was over twice the alcohol driving limit and nearly five times the cocaine driving limit when he was caught.
At the time of his arrest, he had 178 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, although the legal limit is 80 micrograms. The legal limit for Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine component, is 50mg, yet he had 249mg in his system.
Vose, who also guilty to assault resulting in actual bodily harm, had prior convictions for driving under the influence, driving while banned, and driving without insurance. He had already served time for kidnapping and extortion.
Due to the barrister’s strike, he was unrepresented by counsel, although a mitigation paper submitted on his behalf stated, ‘He does not demand forgiveness from the family, but if he could turn back time, he would.’
“He is well aware of and embarrassed of the immense misery and pain he has caused. His mental illness causes him to behave impulsively.
He regrets what occurred and admits to consuming alcohol and drugs that night.
‘In an emotionally charged moment, he made the terrible, dumb, and self-centered decision to get behind the wheel of his automobile and drive into a building to end his life. This impetuous conduct has had catastrophic, distressing, and devastating results. He cannot forgive himself for his behavior.
Lesley, Mrs. Kearns’ granddaughter, said at the time of her grandmother’s passing, “Grandma was a really remarkable lady; she fought till the very end.” We will never forget her brilliant sense of humor, which she maintained till the end.’
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