On March of last year, Christopher ‘Chris’ Hanley tragically lost his life while attempting to prevent the theft of his Land Rover Discovery. During the incident, Marvin Sutton (35) and Charlene Thomas (37) were responsible for the pre-planned theft that led to Chris's fatal injuries.

As Chris tried to stop the car from being stolen, he was thrown off the bonnet, resulting in severe head injuries. Sutton fled the scene after the incident, and the car was discovered the following morning with smashed windows, after an attempt was made to set it ablaze.

Both Sutton and Thomas have pleaded guilty to theft, with Sutton admitting to manslaughter. They were sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court, where Sutton received a 10-and-a-half year prison term, while Thomas was jailed for five years.

During the emotional sentencing, Chris’s wife, Helen Hanley, expressed her grief: “I never envisaged being a widow at the age of 51... Chris was taken from me for no reason, I didn’t get to hold his hand or say goodbye." She shared the nightmare of identifying her husband's body, saying, “It is an image I can’t get out of my head.”

Helen reflected on the daily reminders of her husband, from his belongings to her routines, expressing how everything brings her back to his absence. She described feeling isolated, stating: “I feel like I am in a goldfish bowl, everyone looking at me, asking behind my back how I am doing.”

The couple had planned to move closer to their grandchildren, but she now feels anger and emptiness at the loss. “Your greed has destroyed my family and my future plans,” she lamented.

Their son, Ryan Hanley, was also present in court, stating the loss of his father has been “unimaginable.” He expressed the difficulty of explaining to his child that his best friend is gone, emphasizing the senselessness of the situation, saying, “Your plan was to take the car but instead you took my dad’s life.”

Chris’s sister, Tracy Wilson, shared her heartbreak, saying, “What you have taken from us as a family is our happiness and our joy... Chris was my constant. His energy was electric.”

Judge Maurice Greene condemned Sutton's actions, stating: “This was a totally avoidable and needless death. Had you thought for one moment about somebody other than yourself, Mr. Hanley would still be alive today.”

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Smith described the incident as a tragic loss of life due to selfish and irresponsible actions, expressing hope that the sentencing provides some comfort to Chris's family and friends.