Inquest into Timothy Burgess' death permanently suspended

Timothy Burgess died aged 47 when the car he was travelling in was struck head-on by a Ford Focus travelling at speed by Northwich resident, Joshua Eldred.

On October 25, Eldred was sentenced at Chester Crown Court to 12 years immediate imprisonment for causing death by dangerous driving.

At Cheshire Coroners’ Court on Wednesday, the inquest into Mr Burgess death was permanently adjourned.

Senior Coroner for Cheshire, Jacqueline Devonish, told the court that the 48-year-old had been travelling in the front passenger seat of the car when it was hit on July 18.

The inquest was then formally opened, due to his unnatural cause of death, and permanently suspended as Eldred had been criminally convicted of Mr Burgess’ death.

Joshua Eldred was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment (Image: Cheshire Police)

Eldred, 31, was speeding 20 miles per hour over the limit while late to work when he attempted to overtake a van on the A533 in Little Leigh.

It was later discovered that Eldred made several phone calls around the time of the crash and had, alcohol, cocaine and BZE (the main metabolite of cocaine) in his system.

This all happened while the 31-year-old was released on bail after having crashed into a parked car 10 days earlier, again with alcohol and BZE in his system.

Mr Burgess, who was from Runcorn, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Wendy Wall, suffered serious injuries, including multiple fractures, internal bleeding and a stroke caused by damage to the blood vessels in her neck.

At Eldred’s sentencing, the public gallery was filled with Mr Burgess’ friends and family, with several of them reading personal statements.

Speaking in court, his daughter said: “Losing not only my dad but my best friend has been the most distressing time of my life.

“The pain will stick with me forever.

“Nothing will ever be the same without my dad by my side and the thought tears my heart.

“I will never experience my dad walking me down the aisle at my wedding. He won’t DJ at my 18th like he had promised. I won’t be able to introduce my children to their grandad.

“My dad showed me what love actually is and I feel so proud to call him my dad.

“One thing my dad always told me is that life is cruel and now I understand. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to continue without him.”

Mr Burgess' family and friends filled the public gallery at the sentencing (Image: Supplied)

Mr Burgess’ father, 73-year-old Philip Burgess, spoke of how his son had been due to take over the family fish and chip shop, 4 Seasons in Frodsham.

“My pain, along with all my family’s pain, is immense,” he said.

“Mr Eldred has wrecked our lives.”

Ms Wall’s daughter, Sharna Wall had been on the phone to Mr Burgess when the crash occurred.

“For my mother, the crash was life altering in ways we could never anticipated,” she said.

“It has been heart-breaking to see someone so strong and vibrant transformed. The traumatic moment her partner died will forever be etched into my mind. I often think about the shared moments and life they would have had.

“We are navigating a world that is forever changed and sometimes it feels we are just going through the motions.”

Prosecuting, Frances Willmott read a victim impact statement on behalf of Ms Wall.

She said: "A driver with no regard for others took away the man I loved.

"Tim and I had just fallen in love with so many plans for the future and dreams we were going to build.

"I now live a life which feels like a prison sentence."