A man who killed a dinner lady after mowing her down with his car in Sunderland has appeared in court after fleeing from an open prison.
Alan Paul Steel, was 26 when he killed 32-year-old Paula Stead in the hit and run on Sunderland's Ford Estate in 2006, crashing into her and two other family members. Paula’s daughter Bridie was seriously injured in the collision, and her cousin Danica Green, who was 10 at the time, lost her leg.
A major manhunt was launched to find him before he was located at a house in Sunderland. He admitted causing death by dangerous driving, failing to stop or report an accident, driving with no insurance and driving while disqualified.
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In January 2007, Steel was handed an indefinite sentence with a minimum of 13 years.
But last month the 42-year-old went missing from HMP Sudbury, an open prison in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire Live reports.
He appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, July 7 where he pleaded not guilty to three counts of burglary and guilty to one count of absconding from lawful custody. He is due to stand trial at the same court on November 21.
A Derbyshire Constabulary spokesman said: “A man convicted for causing death by dangerous driving, who we were trying to trace after he left HMP Sudbury has been found. Alan Paul Steel has been located by officers from Nottinghamshire Police. Thank you to everyone who responded to our appeal to trace him.”
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