A DPD delivery driver who fatally injured a 77-year-old grandmother before driving off to continue his delivery route has been jailed for 16 months.
James Murdoch, 43, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, knocked down Victoria Blair outside the Haltwhistle residential home where she lived on January 27, 2023, causing injuries that would claim her life a week later.
Despite calling emergency services after the collision, Murdoch left the scene and carried on delivering parcels, only being tracked down by Northumbria Police later that day in the centre of Haltwhistle.
The Van Without Safety Features That Should Have Prevented the Tragic Death of a Grandmother
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Murdoch was driving a replacement DPD van on the day of the collision after his usual vehicle developed a fault that morning.
Crucially, the replacement van lacked the reversing camera, parking sensors, and audio warning alarm that Murdoch’s regular van was equipped with – safety features that Judge Julie Clemitson said would have “very likely” prevented Victoria’s death.
Murdoch drove into a car park at the residential home to make deliveries, but the van was too large to fit into a parking bay. He sat stationary in the vehicle for one minute and 43 seconds whilst recording deliveries and checking his next stop.
Victoria Blair, who used a walking frame, emerged from a back street and crossed the road heading home. She paused at the edge of the car park, likely waiting to see if Murdoch was about to start moving before attempting to cross.
Judge Clemitson explained what happened next: “You checked both mirrors before reversing but could not see the blind spot at the rear. You reversed from your parking position, tragically Victoria Blair was in that blind spot and caused her to fall to the ground.”
The court heard Victoria either made contact with the van or her walker, or was so close that she fell trying to avoid being struck.
Judge Clemitson continued: “Her fall and her consequential injuries were a result of you accelerating backwards towards her as she tried to cross the car park. Had you got out of your van to check before you moved back, you would have seen her.”
The Lie That Forced a Trial
Murdoch initially told police that Victoria had fallen behind his vehicle before he reversed, forcing her family to endure a trial in September this year where he was found guilty of causing death by careless driving.
Sergeant Andrew Ferguson, who led the investigation for Northumbria Police, said: “Murdoch then continued to lie to police and the courts saying that Victoria must have fallen before he started driving – prompting a trial in which her family had to suffer through and relive her final moments.”
Victoria was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the collision but never regained consciousness. She died on February 3, 2023, without her four children and seven grandchildren being able to say goodbye.
Her son Matthew Blair told the court: “On the 27th of January 2023, I received a call that would change every minute of every day for the rest of my life.”
Daughter Alexandra Blair described how her mother “didn’t lose her life through old age or illness” but had “her life taken from her when she still had many, many years left” to make memories with loved ones.
Both spoke of the lengthy proceedings that followed, saying Murdoch could have “spared us all the pain” but instead had shown “no remorse or sympathy.”
The Sentence and Driving Ban
Judge Clemitson sentenced Murdoch to 16 months in prison and disqualified him from driving for 20 months (which includes the 16-month custodial sentence).
He is also required to pay a victim surcharge.
Defence lawyer Robin Patton told the court Murdoch was “genuinely remorseful” and still thinks about Victoria’s death every day.
Patton added that Murdoch had started a petition calling for the law to be changed so delivery vans without clear rear vision must be required to have reversing cameras – though this will come as cold comfort to Victoria’s family.
Just Another Week in DPD’s Catalogue of Problems
The sentencing comes during what has been a catastrophic period for DPD’s public image and driver relations.
Just weeks ago, we reported on DPD directors forcing through devastating pay cuts of up to £25 per day for drivers whilst awarding themselves substantial pay rises, including one director who took home nearly £1.5 million after receiving a £90,000 bonus increase.
That pay cut announcement sparked an unprecedented mass walkout by DPD drivers in October – the first industrial action of its kind in the company’s history – with around 1,500 drivers downing tools in protest over cuts that could cost them more than £6,000 annually.
The company has also faced embarrassment over incidents including a driver deliberately calling a customer “ugly” in official delivery confirmation messages, and a warehouse worker stealing over £26,000 worth of parcels using fake labels.
For Victoria Blair’s family, Murdoch’s 16-month sentence will never bring back the “rock” they described as a much-loved mother and grandmother who was an important part of their lives.
Alexandra Blair ended the family’s statement by saying: “May you rest in peace, Mam, we love you always and will never forget you – and you live on in us every day.”
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