Three jailed after chasing down and killing Hartlepool dad

Two men and a woman have been jailed for manslaughter after chasing down and killing a father-of-one in a relationship dispute.

Adam Thomson was hit by a car in Hartlepool shortly after 3am on 4 January 2023 as he fled from Anthony Hadfield and Steven Corbett.

Hadfield's sister Sarah drove at Mr Thomson as he tried to get away her Ford Focus by running in front of it. He was hit and dragged under the vehicle.

The trio initially tried to lift the car up to help Mr Thomson but fled as police arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene in Sydenham Road.

Teesside Crown Court heard earlier that night Mr Thomson had kicked open the door to his ex-partner's home, injuring her in an altercation.

He returned later that night, where he had a fight with her new boyfriend - Anthony Hadfield.

Hadfield picked up a knife but the court accepted he had acted in self-defence after inflicting an injury to Mr Thomson's face.

Mr Thomson fled but Hadfield rang his sister's partner Steven Corbett for help. He was driven to Sydenham Road by Sarah Hadfield who also arrived with a knife as they tried to hunt down Mr Thomson.

The chase and crash were captured on CCTV and played to the court. Mr Thomson could be seen running in front of Sarah Hadfield's car, seconds before he was hit.

David Lambe KC, prosecuting, described the killers' pursuit as a “mob-handed hounding of Adam by all three defendants with the intention of harming him".

A police liaison officer read out a statement from Mr Thomson's mother, Joanne Thomson, who said that the whole family have been left devastated by her son's death.

She said: "Adam was my son and I have a lifetime of memories of him. But since his death my memories have been replaced by injuries no one should have to see. I see his motionless body lying in that road. The image of him lying behind that glass screen in the mortuary.

"Adam was the carer for his father, who is seriously ill. The effect this has had on him has been devastating. He has deteriorated so much he now requires 24-hour care. He has struggled to accept that Adam has gone and he constantly asks where he is.

"Adam’s daughter was three when he died. They were so close and adored being together. She followed him all over the house. I had to tell her that her dad had died and it broke my heart."

All three pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Sarah Hadfield, of Brenda Road, Hartlepool, was jailed for five years and 11 months.

Corbett, also of Brenda Road, Hartlepool, was jailed for five years and one month.

Anthony Hadfield, of Wensleydale Street, Hartlepool, was jailed for seven years and seven months.

Speaking to the Thomson family in the public gallery following sentencing, Judge Cockerill said Mr Thomson's mother was devastated by what had happened; that his father's health had deteriorated further and he is "no longer interested in living."

She said that the case was also an "appalling tragedy" for Mr Thomson's young daughter.

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