A callous killer who dragged an ‘inspirational’ headteacher to his death beneath the wheels of his two-ton SUV had an 'appalling' driving record dating back 15 years.

Shocking details of Simon Richardson's repeated defiance of the rules of the road were revealed as he was today jailed for a minimum of 25 years for murdering Michael Mullins, 56, who was cycling home from Stretford Grammar School where he had been a 'brilliant' and 'transformative' leader for 17 years.

Instead of stopping after ploughing into him at a junction, Richardson pressed on 'regardless' for more than a mile at up to 60mph, inflicting fatal injuries on the married father-of-two, who had survived the initial impact.

Today Mr Mullins' grieving widow and children paid tribute to him as a ‘perfect gentleman’, and slammed his killer as a 'true coward' who is 'not worthy of any place in society’.

In moving scenes, they addressed a court before horrifying details were revealed about how at the time of the tragedy on April 20, Richardson had five previous  driving convictions dating back to 2011.

They included failing to stop when he crashed a car into a wall and fled the scene, driving while disqualified, and two drink-driving offences.

It can also now be revealed that Richardson was on bail when he mowed down Mr Mullins in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, despite having just been released from prison where he was held on remand on charges of assaulting an emergency worker.

A month earlier he received a community order for that offence, but the 35-year-old was still awaiting trial on separate allegations of affray, causing actual bodily harm and possessing cocaine.

At the time he was sofa-surfing and ‘effectively homeless’, prosecutor Phil Barnes KC told Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Richardson has a total of 28 previous offences and 11 court appearances dating back to when he was just 18.

As well as driving offences, past convictions include public disorder, battery, stalking and threatening to cause criminal damage, the court heard.

He was today jailed for life for the murder of Mr Mullins, with Mrs Justice Brunner setting a minimum term of 25 years less time spent on remand.

Saying he had put 'escaping from the scene of an accident' above everything else, the judge accused him of showing 'an astounding degree of disregard for human life'.

Richardson gazed straight ahead as she told him: 'For every moment you carried on, you were knowingly using your heavy vehicle to cause serious injury to a man who was trapped, injured and completely helpless as a result of your actions.'

Highlighting his 'appalling driving record' and how he 'deliberately used your car as a weapon over a prolonged period', the judge also imposed a rare lifetime driving ban. 

Earlier Mr Mullins' son Harry slammed Richardson’s actions as those of a ‘true coward’ and ‘someone who is not worthy of any place in society’.

‘The irony that such a strong, kind and caring man has been killed by such abhorrent actions is something I will never be able to come to terms with,' he told the court in a victim personal statement.

By contrast, he added: ‘Dad wanted to make the world a better place.'

Richardson avoided making eye contact from his seat in the dock as Mr Mullins’ daughter, Maisie, told how she felt anger after her dad was ‘abandoned’ after being ‘dragged for miles’.

Meanwhile, in her own statement, Mr Mullins' wife of 27 years, Sarah, said: 'My past, present, and future have been brutally and callously torn apart.’

Speaking of her grief for everything of which her husband had been deprived, she said he had been ‘robbed of these opportunities by the vicious, heinous actions of an individual who has given nothing back to the community’.

‘Michael was irreplaceable to family, friends, and the school,’ she added.

‘There is no one quite like him.

‘The fact that Michael had to endure such a violent and painful death is a wound that will not heal.' 

Meanwhile the school’s acting headteacher, Elizabeth Baxter, told the court how Mr Mullins’ death had left ‘a void and a gulf at every level’.

She told how he had transformed Stretford Grammar School from being in special measures on his appointment as headteacher in 2009 to becoming oversubscribed and ‘hugely successful’.

When she broke the news of his death to colleagues the morning after the tragedy there were ‘audible cries and gasps’, she said.

The loss of Mr Mullins ‘so suddenly and in such dreadful circumstances’ had ‘rocked our foundations’.

Following the initial impact, instead of stopping, Richardson 'veered sharply and deliberately from side to side' to try to dislodge Mr Mullins from beneath the wheels of the Volvo XC90, his trial heard.

The teacher was finally thrown clear when the car mounted a grass verge on a country lane before being driven over again by Richardson.

Leaving Mr Mullins dying at the roadside, he stopped to fill his dented car up with fuel and collect weight-loss medication for his cousin, who was in the passenger seat.

Witnesses who were alerted by a 'trail of blood' in the road went to help Mr Mullins, who was still breathing. 

But he was pronounced dead at the scene from catastrophic injuries at 6.50pm, about 40 minutes after he was knocked off his bike.

Richardson switched the Volvo for a van, but was arrested the next day following a brief pursuit after his cousin contacted police.

On Friday a jury convicted Richardson of murder in one of the first cases of its kind.

Paying tribute afterwards, married father-of-two Mr Mullins' family described him as 'an anchor', 'the perfect dad' and 'our everything' by his family. 

Shortly after 6pm on April 20, Mr Mullins – who is said to have been fit – was riding the 19-mile journey to his home near Northwich, Cheshire, when he was knocked off his bike by Richardson.

The stricken headteacher was found on a grass verge 1.3 miles away in Lymm, Cheshire, where Andrew Besant-Roberts was first to the scene, alerted by a 'trail of blood... weaving' along the road for 200 yards.

'Then I saw a cyclist on a grass verge who appeared to be in a position similar to the recovery position,' he told the court.

'He was laid on his side unconscious, but I could see he was still breathing.'

Mr Besant-Roberts called 999, but despite carrying out chest compressions and then being helped by a paramedic who arrived shortly after, Mr Mullins was declared dead at the scene.

Analysis of his Apple watch showed that a heartbeat was still being recorded when he was flung out from under the car.

Doctors confirmed that he survived the initial impact but suffered fatal injuries caused when Richardson continued to drive with him beneath the car.

Richardson's cousin, Gabrielle Debotte, 27, who was in the front passenger seat, told the court that the incident left her 'shocked' and 'scared'.

She said that in the moments prior to the collision she had told him to 'slow down', but he smirked and said: 'I'm a professional driver.'

As the Volvo approached a junction she desperately shouted 'bike' three times because she noticed Richardson 'wasn't stopping', she added.

After hitting Mr Mullins she said Richardson drove off in an 'erratic' manner as 'moaning' sounds could be heard from beneath the vehicle.

At one point Richardson stopped and attempted to pull Mr Mullins free before getting back behind the wheel and speeding off again, she said, 'veering' from side to side.

Richardson did not give evidence in his own defence.

But cross-examining Ms Debotte, Jaime Hamilton KC, defending, said Richardson denied getting out of the vehicle or trying to pull Mr Mullins clear.

However, she denied changing her account to avoid getting 'in trouble' herself.

She put her failure to call 999 that evening down to 'shock' and having 'never been' in a situation like that.

Ms Debotte 'broke down' at the nursery where she worked the next day and told staff what had happened before going to police, jurors heard.

Following today's sentencing, the senior investigating officer, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Edwards of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'Richardson is now set to face many years behind bars however he will have to live with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. 

'The decisions he made tore a loving grandfather, husband, dad, friend and colleague away from this world.'

After the verdict, Mr Mullins' family told how his death has left them 'torn apart' and gave a series of glowing tributes.

His wife said: 'My past, present and future have been brutally and callously torn apart. My memories of being with Michael through the rough and the smooth are now permanently tainted with sadness.

'Michael is irreplaceable to family, friends and the school. There is no one quite like him with his myriad of unique qualities that combined to make him mean so much to so many people.

'I am, we are, completely bereft and adrift without our anchor, Michael Mullins.'

Mr Mullins's grown-up children described him as a kindly father who would encourage them with sport and music, and support them into adulthood. 

His son said: 'He was the type of Dad that would show up to everything. He would drive me to every rugby game on a Sunday and was always there to cheer me on from the sidelines with the same sentiment continuing into my adult life where he would constantly remind of how proud he was of me.

'Our last exchange of words together before he dropped me at the station was him reminding me of how proud he was of me.'

Michael's daughter said: 'My dad, Michael, was so many things, He loved music and was learning to play the guitar. He loved to pick us up from the airport after a holiday to be the first to hear about it and growing up would always offer to pick me and my friends up from concerts to make sure we got home.

'I made a promise in those first days that I would live the rest of my life for my dad and give myself the life he had started to see me grow into and wanted for me.

'I am here telling you all that my Dad was and always will be our everything.'

After the tragedy Stretford Grammar School said it was mourning a 'uniquely talented headteacher and a man of unshakeable principles' who would be remembered for his 'quietly brilliant' leadership and 'transformative' vision.

In a glowing tribute it described Mr Mullins as 'a compassionate leader, and a source of unwavering support for students and staff alike'.

Richardson, formerly of Sale, Greater Manchester, had denied murder and an alternative count of manslaughter.

He was ordered to serve a concurrent sentence of 18 months for dangerous driving.