Man crashed into pub after police chase, inquest hears

A man died after he drove at speeds of up to 70mph during a police chase which ended when he lost control and crashed into a pub, an inquest heard.

Will Place, 23, had been drinking in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, while watching the England vs Slovakia match at Euro 2024. He got behind the wheel of his car at 03:00 BST the next day.

Shortly after, police in a marked van saw him pass a red light on Manchester Road and officers began a pursuit of the car when it failed to stop.

Rochdale Coroner's Court was shown CCTV footage of Place driving at speeds of up to 70mph through residential streets before police called off the chase. The jury heard he carried on driving before ploughing into a pub.

The Assistant Coroner Lisa Judge told the court that Place lost control of his car and crashed at high speed into the White Lion pub in Heywood on 1 July 2024.

Police arrived 70 seconds later but the car had already caught fire and the building partially collapsed.

Place was pronounced dead at just after 04:00.

A post-mortem examination later found he had suffered catastrophic injuries and he was twice the legal limit for drink-driving.

At the hearing, his mum Beverley Place told the inquest: "Will was our only child. He was my best friend. He was popular, friendly, loving and had a heart of gold with a zest for life. He cared for others and could light-up any room. He was a passionate Manchester City fan, with a season ticket from the age of seven. He graduated in sports journalism a few months before he died."

"He was a thoughtful, well-mannered, kind young man. He had so much more left to live for and he has left the biggest hole in all of our lives".

Lauren Sullivan, Will's aunt, told the court: "He was a most dependable young man who always found time for his family. Will made a terrible decision that night and paid for it with his life."

PC Sarah Hardman told the court: "I was on patrol at 03:10, when a white Dachia car shot passed me at a junction, so I activated the emergency lights and the siren before I turned on to Manchester Road.

"Despite the speed, the police control said the risk was proportionate and gave me permission for the pursuit to continue. As a police officer, I have a duty to make an attempt to stop the vehicle.

"The Dachia was pulling away from me and I was then told to discontinue because there were no available officers who were trained for a tactical pursuit so I reduced my speed significantly before the car collided with the pub."

She added: "I didn't activate my body-worn camera because my focus was on my driving. I thought it was necessary to follow him and I gave him ample opportunity to stop."

The inquest jury was told they would be asked to examine the decisions taken by the police during the high-speed chase.

The hearing at Rochdale Coroners Court is expected to last four days.

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