A lorry driver who killed two Ryanair pilots and seriously injured a taxi driver in a crash on the M62 has been jailed for 10 years.
Anthony Burns, 63, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. The collision happened at 5.31am on 11 July 2024 near Rainhill Stoops, when Burns’ HGV struck a stationary taxi in heavy rain.
The victims, Captain Matt Greenhalgh, 28, and Senior First Officer Jamie Fernandes, 24, were travelling from Luton Airport to Liverpool John Lennon Airport ahead of a scheduled Ryanair flight. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene. Taxi driver Rashid Mehmood survived but sustained multiple injuries including a broken shoulder and fractured ribs.
CCTV footage showed Burns failed to respond to two reduced speed warnings, 50mph and then 40mph, and was driving at 56mph when he hit the back of a queue of traffic. He braked just one second before impact. The road surface was wet due to overnight rainfall, with visibility reduced by surface spray and poor conditions.
Judge Simon Medland KC told Burns: “You were driving at a speed substantially above what was safe for the conditions. This dreadful, tragic episode killed two men and seriously injured a third.”
Matt Greenhalgh and Jamie Fernandes (left to right)
Burns, from Headington Road in Upton, Wirral, will serve two-thirds of his 10-year sentence in custody before being released on licence. He has also been banned from driving for six years upon release and must pass an extended retest to regain his licence.
The court heard that Burns had 28 previous convictions, mostly dating back to the 1980s and 1990s, and had received three penalty points in 2021 for driving with an unsafe load. However, he had no prior convictions for dangerous driving.
Prosecutor Damian Nolan said there was no evidence of Burns using a phone or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
Michael Hayton KC, defending, said Burns was “on autopilot” and expressed “clear remorse and regret” for his actions. He added: “He did not set out that day to cause harm. This was a lapse from a previously safe and professional driver.”
Tributes paid by the families of both victims described them as ambitious, caring, and full of life.
Matt Greenhalgh, who had recently been promoted to captain, was married just three months before the crash. His family said: “Matt had a passion for life and seized every opportunity that came his way. He was a loving husband, thoughtful son, loyal brother, caring grandson, respected colleague and valued friend.”
Jamie Fernandes’ family said he was “living his best life” and had achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot. “Our darling boy was the light of our lives and always will be,” they said.
Ryanair has pledged to commemorate the two pilots by installing a memorial plaque at its East Midlands Training Centre and launching an annual memorial award in their names for top-performing cadets.
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