Dad killed by hit-and-run driver 45 minutes after cops left him barefoot three miles from home

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A dad was killed by a hit-and-run driver 45 minutes after cops left him barefoot three miles from his home.Gareth Roper, 35, was arrested at home after his wife reported he was ‘acting somewhat strangely’.His children were woken during the disturbance and their father was taken away to ‘prevent any further difficulties’, Bolton Crown Court heard.Just nine minutes later, the dad-of-six was de-arrested and left outside an Iceland store in Wigan, Greater Manchester.Prosecutor Sara Haque said: “He was left barefoot and without any money or his mobile phone.

The officers who left him at the scene are still under investigation.”Moments later he was hit by a Volvo 360 car driven by Jamie Evans, who has pleaded guilty to causing his death by dangerous driving, reported the Manchester Evening News.CCTV footage moments before the collision just after 4.15am showed Gareth walking along the centre of the road in Bamfurlong.

His jumper was tied around his waist and he could be heard whistling and clapping, the prosecutor added.Gareth was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering severe head injuries in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2022.The car was estimated to be travelling at 55mph in a 30mph zone.

Evans drove off and handed himself in to police later that day.In a victim personal statement read to the court, Gareth’s wife Rachel said: “Nobody expects that the police will come to your door and tell you your husband has been killed in a hit-and-run.