Prison sentence for man who had woman's body recovered from accident scene

A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after causing the death of a 27-year-old woman through dangerous driving.

Steven Cunningham will serve an additional eight years of probation.

Mother-of-three Charlotte McHugh was thrown through the windshield of a car driven by Cunningham in an accident in June 2021.

He pleaded guilty at Downpatrick Crown Court to nine charges, including removing Ms McHugh's body from the scene of the accident in Dundonald.

Cunningham also admitted driving carelessly on Comber Road while impaired by alcohol or drugs, driving while disqualified, possession of Class C drugs and perverting the course of justice.

In the early hours of June 1, 2021, a crashed black BMW was found abandoned on Comber Road.

The court heard that Cunningham was the central figure in the case, although other people had also been charged and convicted of related matters.

The judge said Cunningham was the person solely responsible for Ms McHugh's death and that he had been “a driving force in the recovery of her body from the scene”. In his view, this was “at its core a determination to distance himself from his crimes out of self-interest and self-preservation”.

After the hearing, Detective Sergeant Westbury said he hoped the verdict would provide closure for Ms McHugh's family.

“This has been an extremely traumatic time for Charlotte's family as they seek justice for those involved in her death,” he said.

“This has been a long and complex investigation and we as the Police Service of Northern Ireland hope that this demonstrates to all victims of crime that we are determined to bring those responsible to justice.”

A witness saw the BMW “reversing at high speed,” “doing donuts,” and being driven erratically before the accident.

On 1 June, shortly after 04:00 (BST), the car crashed into a grass verge.

Police were informed that an injured person had been taken away from the scene of the accident.

A call later came in from Ardmore Avenue in Dundonald informing emergency services that an injured person had been brought there.

Ms McHugh was treated at the home and taken to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, which included massive bone fractures and internal bleeding.

Her injuries were similar to those in which the animal was thrown through the windshield onto the road.

The court concluded that Ms McHugh had suffered fatal injuries and that the movement of her body and the delay in treatment were unlikely to have affected the outcome.

One of the co-defendants described Cunningham's driving as “out of control” and his speed was about 70 miles per hour.

He was out on bail at the time of the accident and told police at the Ardmore Avenue home that he “breached his bail conditions to try to assist” but that he was not the driver.

Ms McHugh's mother presented a victim impact statement to the court, which the judge quoted.

She said the loss of her daughter “leaves a void that cannot be filled” and her daughter was treated like “a toy or an object.”

She recalled that one of the victim's young children screamed and “reached for his mother” for weeks after Ms McHugh's death.

The court heard that Cunningham had previous convictions, mostly for traffic offences.

The court was told of Cunningham's addiction issues and his remorse regarding the incident.

The judge said that the likelihood of him reoffending was very high and that he had denied his actions until the day of the trial.

From the day of his release, his driving license will be revoked for ten years and he will have to retake the driving test.