Uninsured driver who killed couple while making off from cops jailed

A man who killed a couple whilst making off from police has been jailed for over eight years and disqualified from driving for at least a decade after we caught him thanks to his DNA was left on a drinks can in a a borrowed, uninsured BMW he was speeding away from us in.

Abdisalan Ali, 24, was speeding at 90mph on the M60 motorway when officers in an unmarked police vehicle spotted him and followed him off the motorway at junction two.

The officers activated their emergency equipment in an attempt to bring him to a stop.

Ali failed to stop, and a pursuit commenced carrying on towards the junction of Kingsway and Wilmslow Road in Parrswood, before he collided with two pedestrians who were crossing Wilmslow Road.

The 24-year-old then abandoned the vehicle a short distance away on Berwick Avenue.

Emergency services attended, along with officers who carried out first aid, but sadly 71 year old Geraldine Birtles died at the scene. Her husband 64 year old Stephen Birtles, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries but sadly died on 4 March 2022.

Following a complex eight-week investigation, our Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) were able to identify, locate and arrest Ali - alongside our Force Critical Wanted Unit - on Tuesday 12 April 2022.

Speaking after the hearing, Sergeant Philip Shaw, Lead Investigator from our SCIU, said: "No sentence imposed by the court will bring back Geraldine or Stephen Birtles, nor - understandably - satisfy a grieving family.

"Ali’s callous actions in the early hours of the 20 February have affected many lives.

"He had a choice on that morning; to comply with the request to stop by the police or, drive off in an attempt to avoid capture, and the detection of potential wrongdoing.

"His poor decision making lead to the loss of two lives. If you choose to flee, this case is a stark reminder of the consequences."