London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Liverpool train driver sent WhatsApp message before crash

Liverpool train driver sent WhatsApp message before crash

A train driver crashed into the buffers at a station shortly after sending a Whatsapp message about the death of Formula 1 commentator Murray Walker.

The Merseyrail train was travelling at 40mph (64km/h) instead of 15mph (24km/h) when the cab derailed at Kirkby station on 13 March 2021.

At Liverpool Crown Court, 59-year-old Phillip Hollis admitted endangering passengers' safety.

He was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Prosecutor David Polglase said the crash caused £450,000 worth of damage.

The court heard that none of the 12 passengers were hurt in the crash, while the train's guard also escaped injury.

Twelve passengers escaped injury in the crash


The service had been due to arrive at Kirkby, from Liverpool Central, at 18:52 GMT.

Mr Polglase said a review of Hollis's phone showed a WhatsApp message received at 18.28 said: "RIP Murray".

At 18:51, when the train was between Fazakerley and Kirkby, Hollis replied: "A great commentator".

Mr Polglase said the message was a reference to motor racing commentator Murray Walker, whose death had been reported earlier that day.

Passing sentence, Judge David Potter said the train had been going too fast because Hollis was distracted by a combination of receiving and sending WhatsApp messages and leaning out of his cab to retrieve a bag which had fallen on to the floor.

He said: "It's through sheer luck rather than judgment on your part that serious injury was not caused.

"You accept that you were distracted by trying to retrieve your bag. You do not dispute that you received and sent a WhatsApp message while driving on the approach to Kirkby station.

"In doing so you disregarded basic safety."

The court heard Hollis had been a train driver since 1985


Mr Polglase said the emergency brakes of the train were applied 18m (60ft) from the start of the platform.

The court heard Hollis, of Spellow Lane, Liverpool, had been a train driver since 1985 and was regarded as competent by his employers.

Patrick Williamson, defending, said Hollis had been diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.

Mr Williamson said: "He, by virtue of this incident, was understandably and properly dismissed, bringing to an end a career of significant credit to him.

"It has been his life, in effect."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×