Drink- drive killer of PCs jailed for life.

Byline: JACQUI WALLS and OWEN FAIRCLOUGH

A JILTED lover was yesterday jailed for life after he was found guilty of murdering one police officer and unlawfully killing another by deliberately ramming their car during a high-speedpursuit.

Leayon David Dudley, 39,drove straight at the car at more than 80mph, turning it into a fireball.

He was found guilty of the murder of Leicestershire constable Bryan Moore, 39,and the unlawful killing of 37-year-old PC Andrew Munn.

They died trying to stop Dudley's van on the A42 near Worthington, Leics, after a 50-mile chase from Birmingham.

When he was arrested, the building labourer, who had previous convictions for attacking the police, yelled: ``I am holding you f****** personally responsible for this.''

The killer was nearly twice the legal drink-drive limit when he jumped in his van and sped across the Midlands after rowing with his ex-girlfriend,Gail Powell.

The father-of-two, who denied murder and manslaughter charges, had been in and out of court since he was 13 and had a string of convictions for assaults,burglaries and criminal damage.

He was sentenced to life for murder and 15 years for unlawful killing, to run concurrently,following a 12 day trial at Stafford Crown Court.

Mr Justice McCombe told Dudley, of Oakhurst Road,Acocks Green, Birmingham, he had committed ``two quite appalling offences''.

Addressing the officers' widows, family,friends and colleagues, who had filled the public gallery, the judge commended their bravery in stopping Dudley from harming other road users.

``It is the greatest tragedy that such service cost them their lives.''

Outside court, the officers' families said they had been devastated by the deaths.

PC Munn's widow,Allison, said in a statement: ``We live in a society where police risk their lives every time they put on a uniform and today's verdict typifies this.

``This man's decision to take my husband's and his colleague's lives away was in no way accidental and his intent to harm them was not because they were in the wrong place and wrong time. It was because he saw them as targets.

``In committing this act he has left me,his two children,parents, family and friends with a lifetime of not having Andy with us.'' Constables Munn and Moore had laid down a stinger-type device to stop Dudley and were just stepping out of their car next to a lay-by when Dudley mounted a kerb and sped towards them.

He ploughed into their car,killing PC Munn instantly. PC Moore died in hospital hours later.

Dudley was trapped inside the overturned Ford Transit, but repeatedly punched and swore at an officer who tried to rescue him.

CAPTION(S):

The scene on the A42 ,near Worthington, where two police officers died last August Picture: VIEIRA RUI VIEIRA