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Mum reveals devastating moment she realised daughter, 3, had died in M6 crash
Faye died just weeks before her fourth birthday
A mum has revealed the devastating moment she realised she had lost her three-year-old daughter in a crash on the M6.
Faye Dawson was travelling home from Blackpool illuminations in the car with her mum Beth and Beth’s partner Karl, on November 19th last year, when the driver of a Porsche Boxster was travelling towards them in the wrong direction.
The Porsche crashed into the family, who were heading back to Wallasey, and burst into flames in what witnesses described as a ‘fireball’ as debris scattered across the carriageway.
Beth regained consciousness to see crowds gather around Faye’s body and it was at this moment she knew her baby girl was dead.
Beth told Lancs Live the next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital to the agonising reality of Faye’s tragic death sinking in as her whole world was torn apart.
Beth and Karl both suffered serious injuries in the collision while the driver of the Porsche 79-year-old Terence Unsworth from Preston, died after his car burst into flames.
Beth said many people kept telling her she was lucky to be alive but that she ‘wished she’d died too’ so she didn’t have to live with the agonising heartbreak of having lost her daughter.
An inquest into Mr Unsworth’s death on Thursday, November 2nd, held at Preston Coroner’s Court, heard how the 79-year-old ‘unfathomably’ indicated to turn right before making a U-turn onto the opposite side of the motorway, driving in the wrong direction.
After colliding with Beth’s car, his Porsche was consumed by flames.
PC Rachel Carberry, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Collision Investigation unit, said when Mr Unsworth reached the end of the entry slip road and indicated right, he turned to face oncoming traffic and accelerated for nine seconds before he collided with Beth’s car.
“It was a clear and obvious turn in the wrong direction,” PC Carberry said.
The inquest heard it was impossible for Beth to have taken evasive action to avoid the collision as the officer added: “You wouldn’t expect to come across a vehicle travelling in the wrong direction.”
No faults or defects were found with either of the two vehicles and conditions were dry and well-lit.
Having watched the footage of Mr Unsworth joining the wrong side of the motorway, which was not played in court, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: “He doesn’t meander. He stops and simply turns. It seems to be a deliberate action.”
A post mortem, conducted by Home Office pathologist, Dr Alison Armour found that Mr Unsworth had suffered acute-myocardial thrombosis, although she was unable to determine if this had happened before or after the collision.
Returning to the conclusion of the road traffic accident, Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor said: “I think the difficulty with instances such as these is that we would all like to understand Mr Unsworth’s decision-making but it seems that we will never be able to do that.
“I have seen the CCTV and there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about his driving except for the decision, not only to indicate to turn right, but to perform a U-turn and proceed down the motorway the wrong way.”
Following the tragic collision, the family released a tribute which read: “Our beautiful Faye Grace, words will never express the heartache we are all going through since you were tragically taken from us.
“We can’t see the future without you, it has left a massive hole in our lives. Everyone says how precious their daughter/granddaughter is but you were an exception, you were such a clever little girl who was very funny and had us all laughing all the time.”
It continued: “You were so loving and caring and above all very loved by everyone who met you. You’re now at rest with your great nanny, great grandad and Uncle Jimmy.
“Words won’t justify how much we are all going to miss you and how much we all love you. Your mummy is being so brave and she will continue to make you proud.
“You were too little to be taken away from us, but we know the angels will look after you and they’re lucky to have you dancing in the sky with them.
“We are all so heartbroken that you were taken far too young but we are so glad that we got to have you for the time we did. RIP baby girl, we are all missing you and will carry on forever. All our love.”
News
Paul O’Grady posthumously named Person of the Year by Peta
‘Peta urges everyone to follow his example and honour his memory by speaking up whenever they see an animal in need’
The late TV star Paul O’Grady has been named Peta’s Person of the Year for his ‘lifelong determination to make the world a kinder place for animals’.
The animal rights organisation said ‘he never wavered in his commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us’.
O’Grady, who passed away in March this year aged 67, was a leading figure in a number of animal rights campaigns including Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, which he was an ambassador for.
He rose to fame as a comedian best known for his drag persona Lily Savage. He went on to host light entertainment shows and became the host of For The Love of Dogs, which showcased life at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
The TV and radio star joined Peta in the 1990s to raise awareness about testing on animals, and urged the Lord Mayor of London to stop herding sheep across London Bridge in 2014.
He also raised awareness of the treatment of orcas kept in marine parks and joined a campaign to ban foie gras – a mousse or pate made from force-feeding ducks and geese.
Peta vice president Elisa Allen said: “Paul O’Grady once said that ‘it is our duty to treat animals with respect’, and he lived by his own principles every day by being a tireless animal advocate.
“Peta urges everyone to follow his example and honour his memory by speaking up whenever they see an animal in need.”
A statement from the Peta said: “Peta recognises and thanks Paul O’Grady for his lifelong determination to make the world a kinder place for animals.”
“He never wavered in his commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us. We will always treasure his legacy of compassion,” it added.
O’Grady’s husband Andre Portasio will be presented with the award on his behalf.
News
Manchester’s historic Portico Library awarded huge grant to secure its future
The funding has helped secure the future of the 218-year-old building
The Grade II-listed Portico Library will receive almost half a million pounds to transform the historic building.
The funding has helped secure the future of the 218-year-old building – a much-loved gem standing proudly on Mosley Street.
Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the £453,000 will see the treasured library undergo a huge revamp and preserve its book collection.
During its development, local communities in Manchester will be invited to help work on the project.
With particular focus on environmentally sustainable architectural plans, it aims to unite all three original floors of The Portico Library for the first time in 100 years.
The ground floor will be transformed into a ‘Northern bookshop’ which will hold educational activities, with areas for dining, exhibitions areas and meeting spaces.
While the upper floors will showcase the library’s incredible book collection and archives, which includes the first edition of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
John Carpenter, Chair of the Portico Library, said: “The news that The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting The Portico Library’s bold scheme to open up and share its extraordinary heritage and collection, to Manchester residents and visitors, is a major cultural signal to Manchester, the North and the UK.”
He added: “This visionary project, years in the making, fulfils our mission of working with the many people in Manchester to explore, share and celebrate their diverse stories and the city’s literary and global heritage.
“Embracing creativity, collaboration and inclusivity, the project will unlock the Library’s past to plan for the future. We would like to thank the National Lottery players who have made it possible to realise our vision.”
News
Handwritten note with ‘plan to kill’ Brianna Ghey found in accused girl’s room
The note was found during a police search
A handwritten note with alleged details of a ‘plan to kill’ transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was found by police in the bedroom of Girl X.
The crumpled paper note (pictured) was discovered by officers during a search conducted at the accused’s home in March, more than a month after the tragic death of the 16-year-old.
Brianna was found after being stabbed 28 times in Culcheth Linear Park, Warrington, earlier this year.
The teenager was discovered by dog walkers just after 3pm on Saturday, February 11th.
Girl X from Warrington and Boy Y from Leigh both deny murder. During the trial, jurors at Manchester Crown Court heard how Girl X sent a picture of the handwritten note to Boy Y on February 3rd.
The note began with the header: “Saturday 11th February 2023. Victim: Brianna Ghey.”
It continued: “Meet Boy Y at wooden posts 1pm. Walk down to library…bus stop. Wait until Brianna gets off bus then the 3 of us walk to Linear Park.
“Go to the pipe/tunnel area. I say code word to Boy Y. He stabs her in the back as I stab her in the stomach. Boy Y drags the body into the area. We both cover up the area with logs etc.”
In her opening speech, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the jury: “It is clearly, the prosecution say, a plan to kill Brianna Ghey.” During the same search on March 17th, officers found a note found in a drawer headlined ‘plan’.
Details in the note continued: “Give them alcohol with sleeping pills.
“Slit throat. I kill her. Dismember body. Place pieces in bin bags, bury bags 7ft underground, bones including.
“Get her to go to Linear park, go to the hidden spot near the bridge I usually go to. Someone jumps out and restrains her (plan B). I kill her.”
During the search, police also found a computer tablet and a black notebook.
Jurors heard that written in the notebook was the word ‘anarchy’ on one page, and on another there was a list of ‘what is right and wrong’. Another page had a ‘spider diagram’ with ‘good and ‘evil’ in the middle.
The ‘legs’ of the diagram lead to the words ‘forgiveness, justice, morality, good, suffering, evil, sin and free will’, the court heard.
On another page there were the words ‘Valentine’s gifts’ and on another the words ‘revision HW’. Prosecutor Cheryl Mottram said: “Homework, perhaps.”
Written on another page were the words ‘types of serial killers’, with a list under the heading.
Words underneath included ‘organised and disorganised’, ‘mass murder’, ‘psychotic’, ‘organised crime’ and ‘copy cat’. On another page were the words ‘films’, and ‘faves’.
Another page was headed with ‘Jeffrey Dahmer’ and then a ‘list of characteristics’. There were also notes about ‘John Wayne Gacy’, the ‘killer clown’.
The notebook also had written inside it a note which read ‘potential threats’ and ‘people that need to go’.
Another page had Boy Y’s name on it followed by a ‘list of qualities or attributes’. Underneath was written the words ‘trustworthy, funny, sociopath, good sense of humour, very very smart, genius level and not sociable’.
Officers also recovered a black purse inside a ‘cubby hole’ with a handwritten note inside.
The note read: “Friday 11th November, attitudes to forgiveness.” Jurors were told the note contained two names, including Gee Walker.
“Forgives her son Anthony’s killer,” it read. And continued: “Julie Nicholson, who could not forgive the terrorists who killed her daughter Jenny.”
Three handwritten notes were also found on the floor of the room. One read ‘serial killer facts’, with a ‘list of facts relating to serial killers’ including ‘killing themselves in police custody can be a final act of control’, ‘hedonism’ and ‘power and control orientated’.
Other notes made were ‘cruelty to animals’, ‘bed wetting past age of five’, ‘USA has the most serial killers’, ‘lack of empathy for others’ and ‘can be superficially charming’.
One note read ‘Dr Harold Frederick Shipman, aka Dr Death’, followed by the words ‘classification, serial killer’.
And jurors were told there was also a note in relation to ‘Richard Ramirez, or the ‘Night Stalker’.
The trial, which began on November 27th at Manchester Crown Court, continues.
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Paul O’Grady posthumously named Person of the Year by Peta
Manchester’s historic Portico Library awarded huge grant to secure its future
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