Death crash football agent Peter Morrison sentence increased

Peter Morrison had pleaded guilty to careless driving but denied dangerous driving

A football agent who killed a traffic officer and left another paralysed on the M6 has had his seven-year jail sentence increased.

Peter Morrison, 37, had been speeding and sending text messages before the crash in Cumbria in February 2016.

Adam Gibb, 51, died and Paul Holroyd, 53, was left paralysed from the chest down.

Morrison has had his death by dangerous driving sentence increased to nine years by the Court of Appeal.

The weather at the time of the crash was described as "atrocious"

During a trial at Carlisle Crown Court, jurors heard Morrison, from Worsley in Greater Manchester, had been driving at an average speed of 81 mph, when the suggested speed limit was 50 mph.

He lost control of his Mercedes ML 350 4x4 in "atrocious" weather conditions while the two Highways England Officers were overseeing the recovery of two previously-crashed vehicles.

His car swerved across three lanes of the carriageway, mounted the crash barrier and rebounded off a rock, hitting the victims.

During 23 miles he had exchanged 25 WhatsApp messages.

The last, 96 seconds before the crash, was to Nottingham Forest's Zach Clough containing a link to video footage of a goal the striker had scored.

Morrison pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving but was convicted by a jury of causing death by dangerous driving and serious injury by dangerous driving.

Adam Gibb's family said he was a "fantastic dad and a wonderful husband"

Mr Gibb, from Penrith, is survived by his wife and young son, who was 15 years old and due to sit his GCSEs at the time.

Mr Holroyd, from Kirkby Stephen, suffers long-term effects because of his injuries.

Morrison, a married father-of-one, played for Bolton Wanderers and Scunthorpe United before his career was cut short by injury.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal claiming it was too low.

Speaking after the hearing, he said he was "pleased" with the outcome.

He said: "Morrison's deliberate decision to be distracted and drive at excessive speeds in extremely hazardous weather conditions had devastating consequences for two families."