Driver who killed dinner lady and absconded from Derbyshire prison appears in Nottingham court

A man who killed a dinner lady after mowing her down with his car has appeared in court again after absconding from prison.

Alan Paul Steel, 42, had been reported missing from HMP Sudbury, an open prison in Derbyshire, last month.

He appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, July 7 and pleaded not guilty to three counts of burglary and guilty to one count of absconding from lawful custody - his trial is set to begin in the week commencing November 21.

A Derbyshire Constabulary spokesman previously said: “A man convicted for causing death by dangerous driving, who we were trying to trace after he left HMP Sudbury has been found.

"Alan Paul Steel has been located by officers from Nottinghamshire Police. Thank you to everyone who responded to our appeal to trace him."

Steel was 26 back in 2006 when he killed 32-year-old Paula Stead in the hit and run on Sunderland's Ford Estate, crashing into her and two other family members.

Paula’s daughter Bridie and her cousin Danica Green were also seriously injured in the collision. Danica, who was 10, lost her leg.

He was caught after being tracked down to a house in the city following a major manhunt.

He admitted causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop or report an accident, driving with no insurance and driving while disqualified.

In January 2007, Steel was handed an indefinite sentence with a minimum of 13 years.