Thomas Molloy’s daughter said the horror of seeing her dad being knocked down by a car will never leave her
Hari Rajamoni leaving Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The heartbroken daughter of a man killed while organising traffic for an Everton FC match said “the sadness I feel will never leave me”. Thomas Molloy, 66, was fatally injured after being knocked down by careless driver Hari Rajamoni, 28, at around 2.30pm on May 11 last year.
The incident took place on the day of Everton FC’s Premier League match against Sheffield United. Mr Molloy, a grandad of two, was directing cars on the forecourt of BP Priory Garage off Priory Road, Anfield, when he was knocked down by Rajamoni’s silver Ford Fiesta.
He suffered eight fractured ribs, and was later diagnosed with pneumonia leading to his death on June 12, 2024.
Rajamoni, of Grantham Street, Kensington, pleaded guilty to causing his death by careless driving. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, October 14, for sentence.
In a statement issued on behalf of the family, Mr Molloy’s daughter Emma Jones said: “Thomas Molloy was a loving, fun, kind-hearted, hard working family man. He was a husband and father and grandfather of two. Family was everything to him, it was his driving force and sole priority. He worked tirelessly for 30 years as a cab driver, rarely affording himself a day off so he could provide the best possible life for his family.
“He had just celebrated his 66th birthday. Having just reached pension age, he was finally at a point in his life where all his hard work would be paid off, and he was at a point in his life where he would be able to slow down and rest if he chose, to enjoy more free time, hobbies, and spending quality time with his wife, children and grandchildren. Time he was not always privileged to give us in his working life.
“Our dad was still healthy, physically fit and able. He enjoyed the company of other people. In reality he needed to keep working to top up his state pension. One of his part-time jobs was as a parking attendant at his local garage.
“While standing on the forecourt in his high visibility jacket, a car drove straight into him, leaving him no time to react. My sister and I went to the forecourt when we heard and we saw the CCTV. We saw he bounced off the car, flipped into the air and landed on the forecourt. It looks like he tried to sit up, but immediately collapsed to the floor. The horror of seeing that will never leave us.”
Mr Molloy suffered eight fractured ribs and was taken by ambulance to Aintree Hospital for treatment. He was discharged on May 20, but was readmitted three days later after suffering breathing problems, and was subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia.
His condition deteriorated and he was intubated and placed on a ventilator. He died on June 12 2024, and a post-mortem found his cause of death was pneumonia and blunt force chest trauma as a result of the traffic collision.
Ms Jones said: “The agony of seeing him with a tube down his throat while in and out of consciousness was too much to bear. We wondered what he must be going through at the time. Was he aware of what was going on around him? Was he fearful, was he worried? We just didn’t know.”
Hari Rajamoni, of Grantham Street, Kensington, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving(Image: Liverpool Echo)
She added: “The trauma of seeing him in hospital over four weeks, seeing him die and managing his funeral have taken a toll on my health. I can function at work but I have become unsociable and withdrawn. The sadness I feel will never leave me. He didn’t deserve to die that way.
“Whenever his death is spoken of in terms of him being killed, reality hits me. We never thought it would happen to our family.”
She said her dad’s death had also deeply affected his other daughter, his son, wife, grandchildren, and older sister who has learning disabilities. She said: “Our only solace is that our father knew how loved he was with a family by his side. We endeavoured to go on past our grief and remember him how he was.
“He’ll never see his grandchildren grow up, miss the chance of seeing his daughter and grandchildren get married, and all the other millstones in life. This saddens us to the core. It pains us further than our father has not died a natural death of old age.
“We believe there was no malice and he (Rajamoni) didn’t set out that day to cause harm to our father, however his actions led to a series of events that ultimately claimed his life. Our father was taken from us too soon and he has paid the price for another driver’s carelessness.”
Nicola Daley, defending Rajamoni, who has no previous convictions, said: “The defendant has accepted the facts and doesn’t attempt to blame Mr Molloy in any way. He was and clearly remains shocked by this matter and the situation by which he is here.
“He has said ‘I know that I can’t change what happened that day no matter how much I wish it, and that is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life’. The weight of this regret is heavy, has changed him completely as a person.
“What he says is ‘I think of the man and his family every single day. Their pain haunts me and reminds me to be a better person’. That in some cases could be hollow, but I submit in this case it is not hollow. In the last year he has been helping in his community when he can. He has been described as assisting in different ways, on a regular basis, those who need shelter and food.”
Rajamoni was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 month, and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and 202 rehabilitation days. He also banned him from driving for 12 months, after which he must pass and extended retest.