Speeding football agent sent 25 messages from phone before fatal crash

A FOOTBALL agent who sent 25 Whats App messages from his phone while speeding has been jailed for seven years after he hit two highway officers, killing one and paralysing the other.

Peter Morrison, 37, had been driving at 81mph in “atrocious” weather conditions shortly before he lost control of his Mercedes ML 350 4X4.

Adam Gibb, a 51-year-old married father from Penrith, Cumbria, was killed while his colleague, Paul Holroyd, 53, from Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, was left permanently paralysed from the chest down. Liverpool Crown Court was told a 50mph limit had been in place due to poor conditions on the M6 near Tebay, Cumbria.

Morrison had exchanged 25 messages during the 23 miles ahead of the crash, on Feb 21 2016. He had sent 44 messages since setting off from Glasgow to Manchester. Morrison had admitted careless driving but denied dangerous driving leading to Mr Gibb’s death and Mr Holroyd’s “catastrophic” injuries. However, following a trial, he was convicted of both offences.

Julie Labbett, 48, Mr Gibb’s widow, said in a statement: “In time I may be able to forgive Mr Morrison for killing Adam – but I am never going to be able to forgive him for taking his son’s dad away from him.”

Morrison, from Worsley, near Manchester, who had been found guilty of using a mobile phone while driving in 2012, was also banned for eight years.