Families condemn wait over sentence for lorry driver who killed two Ryanair pilots
The families of two Ryanair pilots killed when a lorry crashed into their taxi have described it as “appalling” that they were left waiting for months fearing the driver’s sentence could be reduced.
Anthony Burns, 63, was jailed for 10 years after admitting two counts of causing death by dangerous driving over the collision on the M62 near Warrington on 11 July 2024.
Jamie Fernandes, 24, and Matthew Greenhalgh, 28, were travelling from Luton Airport to Liverpool when the Toyota taxi in which they were passengers stopped behind another lorry in a queue on the westbound carriageway.
The road had been subject to speed restrictions and lane closures while emergency services dealt with an earlier crash on the opposite side of the motorway. Prosecutors said Burns failed to slow down and continued travelling at about 56mph, a speed he had maintained for around 35 minutes before the collision.
He applied his brakes only one second before hitting the taxi, which was forced beneath the lorry in front. The two pilots were killed instantly.
The taxi driver, Rashid Mehmood, survived after suffering broken ribs, bruising and cuts. Police officers at the scene heard him crying for help from the wreckage, and he was discharged from hospital three days later.
There was no evidence that Burns had been drinking, taking drugs or using his mobile phone before the crash. Investigators also found no vehicle defect to explain the collision. Burns, who was arrested the following day, gave no explanation during police questioning for why he had failed to react to the stationary traffic.
At Liverpool Crown Court on 13 January 2026, Burns was also disqualified from driving for 150 months and told he would have to pass an extended driving test before returning to the road. He must serve at least two-thirds of his prison sentence before becoming eligible for release.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Joseph Woodyatt said Burns’s driving had killed “two men, with their lives ahead of them, who were simply making their way to work”. He said the reason Burns had failed to brake as he approached the queue remained a mystery.
Greenhalgh’s family said he had achieved a successful career with Ryanair after discovering his ambition to fly as a teenager. He had recently been promoted to captain and had married his wife, Hannah, in Las Vegas three months before his death.
Fernandes’s family also paid tribute to a young pilot whose life and career were cut short. Victim personal statements submitted to the court described the enduring impact of the crash on both families.
