Man charged over car theft killing

A man was last night charged with the murder of Lynda Hankey, who was knocked down by her own car as it was allegedly being stolen.

Ms Hankey, 42, from Wigan, suffered fatal head injuries when she was flung into the air off the bonnet of her yellow MG sports car during the incident last Thursday.

Shaun Higgins, 23, of Leigh in Greater Manchester, was also charged with aggravated taking of a vehicle. He was due to appear before magistrates today.

Ms Hankey had started running the engine of her car and had briefly returned to her house to pick up her girlfriend, Jamie Hudson, and Ms Hudson’s five-year-old son.