Joanna Murray wept in court as she was told the crash caused “catastrophic damage”
14:15, 10 Jun 2025Updated 15:49, 10 Jun 2025
Joanna Murray, 41, of Queens Drive, leaving court
A woman who drove her Mercedes through a classroom wall while on the school run said she had suffered a seizure in the run-up to the incident. Joanna Murray had dropped her 11-year-old son off at school on April 22 last year before she drove her car through a wall and into a classroom at The Beacon Church of England Primary School on Heyworth Street in Everton.
As the 41-year-old mum appeared in Sefton Magistrates’ Court today, June 10, it was heard how she had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving and pleaded not guilty to failure to provide a specimen for analysis.
In a statement read to the court on behalf of Murray by her solicitor Richard Oldroyd, she said she had failed to notify the DVLA of any medical conditions and had not suffered a seizure in two years.
As Murray, of Queens Drive, wept in the dock while wearing a black suit and white shirt, District Judge Paul Healey said the crash caused “catastrophic damage” to the school, although no one was injured in the crash.
As part of the basis of her guilty plea, Murray said she did not remember the crash but later found out she had suffered a seizure while driving.
The white Mercedes after it crashed into the school(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The crash happened at 8.30am on the Monday – and a parent told the ECHO at the time how it had been just 10 minutes before the school was due to open its doors at 8.40am
In a clip seen by the ECHO at the time, a person walks through the scene of the crash where a gaping hole can be seen in the side of the building. Rubble and debris can also be seen strewn all over the floor of the room where toys and desks once sat neatly.
The footage shows a toy kitchen and child-sized bookshelves flipped over. The white car was in front of a door, with anything that was in its path crushed to the front of it.
Originally scheduled for trial, the case was adjourned after a key witness was unable to attend court.
A new date has been set for December 9, 2025, at Sefton Magistrates’ Court. Murray was granted unconditional bai