Man faces court over Pc Dave Phillips hit-and-run murder

An 18-year-old man will appear in court accused of murdering a police constable in a hit-and-run collision.

Father-of-two Dave Phillips, 34, was struck by a Mitsubishi pick-up truck while trying to use a stinger device on the vehicle taken in a burglary in the early hours of October 5 last year.

He died in hospital shortly after the incident in Wallasey, Merseyside.

Clayton Williams has been charged with murdering Pc Phillips and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Pc Thomas Birkett, who jumped out of the way as the car ploughed into Pc Phillips.

Williams, of Wheatland Lane, Wallasey, faces additional charges for the initial burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking of the pick-up truck during the break-in at an estate agent's in Oxton, Merseyside, when a cash till, fishing equipment and electrical items were stolen.

He is due to enter formal pleas to the charges from prison via court videolink, along with five other defendants.

Philip Mark Stuart, 30, of Prenton, Wirral, is accused of burglary and aggravated vehicle-taking and death caused by an accident, after allegedly being carried in the Mitsubishi.

Georgia Clarke, 19, of Knowsley Road, Wallasey; Dawn Cooper, 34, of Wheatland Lane, Wallasey; Michael Smith, 19, of Widmore Road, Liverpool, and Glen-Nicholas Jones, 39, of Wheatland Lane, Wallasey, are all accused of assisting an offender.

A provisional date of March 7 has already been set for a three-week trial at Preston Crown Court.

Today's plea and case management hearing at Liverpool Crown Court begins at 2.15pm.