Ballyfermot driver jailed after killing Wrexham woman while fleeing police
Michael Connors has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for causing the death of Lydia La Polla while driving dangerously and fleeing police in Wrexham. Connors, who was unlicensed and uninsured, fled to Ireland following the incident before being extradited.
Why it matters
The case underscores the severe consequences of dangerous driving and the effectiveness of international legal cooperation in extraditing fugitives.
Image source, North Wales Police Image caption, Michael Connors admitted causing death by dangerous driving
A dangerous driver has been jailed for 13 years after causing the death of a "devoted" mum while he fled police.
Michael Connors went on the run to Ireland after killing Lydia La Polla, 47, in Wrexham in March 2025. He was extradited on an international arrest warrant.
Connors, 28, had been driving at 71mph in a 20mph zone seconds before the crash, which also seriously injured the victim's husband Robert La Polla, 44, and a 16-year-old girl who was a passenger in the car driven by the defendant.
Judge Simon Mills told Mold Crown Court that Lydia's "excellent life was needlessly cut short at the age of 47, not far from her 25th wedding anniversary".
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