Man ‘paid for terrible decision with his life’, inquest told

An inquest jury has found that a man died after drink-driving at speeds of more than 70mph before he crashed into a pub in Heywood, Greater Manchester.

Will Place, 23, had been drinking in Rochdale after watching the England vs Slovakia match at Euro 2024 and got behind the wheel of his car in the early hours of 1 July 2024.

When police in a marked van saw him pass a red light on Manchester Road, they immediately began following him at high speed – but officers called off the pursuit shortly before Place collided into the White Lion pub.

The narrative verdict made no mention about the conduct of police officers who had responded to the incident in the moments before the fatal crash.

The inquest jury at Rochdale Coroner’s Court found that, on the balance of probabilities, alcohol played a contributing factor to Place’s decision-making in the moments before he died.

In their verdict, the jury also found that his speed was excessive throughout the pursuit and a bend in the road contributed to the instability of the vehicle.

A post-mortem examination following the crash found Place had suffered catastrophic injuries and he was twice the legal limit for drink-driving.

At the inquest, his mum Beverley Place told the jury that her son was “a thoughtful, well-mannered, kind young man”.

She added: “He had so much more left to live for and he has left the biggest hole in all of our lives.”

His aunt Lauren Sullivan told the court: “He was a most dependable young man who always found time for his family.

“Will made a terrible decision that night and paid for it with his life.”