CAR CRASH KILLER IS SNARED BY A DROP OF HIS BLOOD
Thief left chef in the road then drove off
A CAR thief who knocked down and killed a chef in the early hours of the morning was snared by his DNA, a court was told yesterday.
Declan Mayes, 21, was caught by a drop of blood he left behind in the stolen Peugeot 207.
His DNA was also found on the car key.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that Mayes lost control of the car shortly after stealing it in Fords Road, Edinburgh, about 3am on March 7.
Mayes, from Edinburgh, crashed into bushes and a fence then hit Lionel Simenya before driving into a wall by a footbridge and leaving the scene.
Lionel was found lying face down in the road at 3.20am by two passers-by who dialled 999 and began chest compressions.
He had a severe head injury and one of his shoes was partially off his foot.
Lionel was pronounced dead at the scene at 4.30am.
Mayes pled guilty to causing Lionel’s death by dangerous driving. He admitted stealing the car and driving while uninsured.
But he denied attempting to defeat the ends of justice by failing to stop and get emergency help for his victim and this not guilty plea was accepted by the prosecution.
Prosecutor Liam Ewing said: “The accused has a number of previous convictions including for reset, theft of a motor vehicle, attempted housebreaking, theft by housebreaking, assault and driving while disqualified.
“This case arises out of a break-in at a garage. After this, the accused and another stole the Peugeot from outside the garage and he lost control of it.”
The court heard that victim Lionel was born in Burundi, Africa, and educated in Belguim before coming to the UK.
At the time of the incident, he was working as a chef with a pharmaceutical company and living in his van. His body was found 200ft away from the vehicle. A large kitchen knife with his DNA on it was on the ground 15ft away from him.
Collision investigation experts concluded that given the limited damage to the vehicle, the speed at the time was “not fast”.
Lionel died from a traumatic brain injury and also had fractures to his lower left leg.
Mayes handed himself into St Leonard’s Police Station in Edinburgh on March 16.
Days earlier, the victim’s brother had made a public appeal, urging those responsible for his death to “do the right thing” and hand themselves in.
Nicolas Simenya said the 36-year-old did not “deserve such an atrocious death”.
He added: “Lionel was a wonderful, protective big brother and appreciated by all those who crossed his path.
“Lionel worked hard and never asked for help from anyone.
“He was in his prime and would have been 37 on Wednesday, had he not been taken away from us.”
Yesterday, Judge Lady Scott deferred sentence until next month for the preparation of background reports and to enable her to read a victim impact statement from Lionel’s family.
Defence QC Gordon Jackson will give his plea in mitigation at that time.
Mayes is in custody.