A company director and beloved mother who lived her life strictly by the rules was killed in a horrific collision caused by a career criminal fleeing police, a court has heard.
A Life Lived 'By the Book' Cut Short
Suzanne Cherry, 62, was a law-abiding businesswoman, an advanced motorcyclist, and an inspiration to many. She was excitedly awaiting becoming a grandmother for the first time. Her husband, Clinton Harrison, said she "never broke a rule in her life and did everything by the book." Her life was ended on a golf course by a man whose existence was defined by crime.
On Tuesday, John McDonald, 52, was jailed for 13 years and six months at Worcester Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and conspiracy to commit fraud. The court heard a devastating catalogue of offending that led to the death of Mrs Cherry.
The Roofing Scam and Fatal Chase
On the day of the fatal crash, April 11, 2023, McDonald, along with his son Johnny, 23, and Brett Delaney, 35, had just tricked a 71-year-old woman, Gill Smith, into agreeing to pay £2,000 for unnecessary roofing work. They followed her to a cash machine to ensure she withdrew the money.
Their unregistered grey Nissan van, with defective tyres and brakes, was spotted by police in Birmingham. When Delaney turned his head, officers grew suspicious and gave chase. What followed was a 12-minute pursuit of terror.
McDonald reached speeds of 70mph, weaving through traffic, driving through red lights, mounting pavements, and ramming the pursuing police car at least eight times. He crashed into multiple vehicles, including one carrying an 11-month-old baby.
In a final, desperate bid to escape, McDonald fled onto the grounds of the Aston Wood Golf Club in Shenstone, near Sutton Coldfield. There, he mowed down Suzanne Cherry, who was playing golf with her husband. The court heard he stepped over her body as he fled on foot.
Mrs Cherry suffered catastrophic injuries, including multiple rib fractures, torn carotid arteries, and lacerations to her liver and spleen. She died in hospital four days later, on April 15, the day before her 63rd birthday.
A History of Preying on the Vulnerable
The court revealed McDonald was a career criminal with nine previous convictions for 14 offences. His fraud conspiracy with his son and Delaney netted around £50,000 from elderly victims, money never returned.
Their company, Approved Roofs Ltd, was a front for a sophisticated scam targeting the vulnerable based on age. They charged "exorbitant amounts for bad work," pressuring victims. One 83-year-old widow from Walsall was conned out of £11,000.
McDonald's past crimes are equally repugnant. In 2019, he was jailed for six years for stealing thousands of pounds from an 85-year-old woman and her terminally ill 62-year-old daughter. He was on the run at the time for conning a 98-year-old woman in Sutton Coldfield.
By 2022, he and his son were subjects of a wanted appeal by West Midlands Police over distraction burglaries targeting the elderly in Walsall and Great Barr.
Judge Barry Berlin told McDonald his offending was "repugnant." After the sentencing, Mr Harrison said he had "no thoughts" for the man responsible but wanted to remember his "inspirational" wife.
The widow defrauded of £11,000 told the Daily Mail: "I will never see the money again but when I think what happened to the poor lady on the golf course and her husband, it puts it into perspective."
