Driver killed mum after dragging body 900 metres in one of ‘worst hit-and-runs’
A drink-driver who killed a mum in what has been described as one of the 'worst hit-and-run cases ever seen' has been jailed.
Pierce Whelan, 35, had been smoking cannabis and was twice over the alcohol limit when he dragged her body 900 metres along a road.
He drove his dad's car home despite having a taxi booked to take him back.
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Whelan ploughed into two pedestrians in the Peugeot 406, which hit a man and dragged a woman's body half a mile down the road.
Mum-of-one Nawelle Tina Ormerod, 37, died at the scene and a 26-year-old man was left with a broken arm which needed nine screws.
Horrified onlookers could do nothing as the car continued to speed away with the woman stuck under the car.
Whelan continued to drive despite the windscreen being smashed before abandoning the vehicle.
He then popped in to see his girlfriend in Nuneaton, Warks, on June 19, 2021.
CCTV footage captured shows Whelan, driving dangerously before handing himself into police in the early hours of June 20.
Whelan was jailed for 21 years for manslaughter and three years for dangerous driving at Warwick Crown Court on Friday (March 3).
He admitted both charges and also received a ban for life from driving.
Emily Clewer from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This is one of the worst hit and run cases I have come across.
"Pierce Whelan knowing fully well he had hit someone failed to stop at the scene and continued driving his car with no regards for Nawelle Tina Ormerod who was trapped beneath his car."
"I hope this case serves as a warning to others who may be tempted to drink and drive.
"Driving while intoxicated ruins lives, and we will prosecute offenders to the full extent of the law."
Inspector Michael Huntley, from Warwickshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “The horrific consequences of Pierce Whelan’s actions on 19 June 2021 have been devastating for the family and everyone who knew Nawelle Ormerod.
"Nawelle leaves a husband and son, who keenly feel their loss and my thoughts remain with them.
"Lives changed forever on that day, including the life of the man who was also hit by Whelan’s car."
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