Charissa Brown-Wellington was today jailed for five years for manslaughter
A mother-of-two with a ‘propensity for impulsive violence’ took ecstasy before pushing a stranger to his death under the wheels of a moving tram.
Charissa Brown-Wellington was today jailed for five years for the manslaughter of 30-year old Philip Carter, who was crushed to death after the pair had a row at Manchester Victoria station.
Manchester Crown Court heard the 31-year-old and her fiance had earlier shared a bottle of wine bought from Tesco in Manchester city centre.
She also drank two cans of lager, and took ecstasy.
She and Mr Carter were seen arguing on the platform as a tram pulled into the station before she pushed him after screaming: ‘Get the f*** out my face’
She then lunged at him, pushing him onto the track in front of the oncoming tram.
Other commuters looked on in horror as Mr Carter, a labourer, was dragged under the wheels of the carriage and killed almost instantly.
Mr Carter suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’ and was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, June 12.
Brown-Wellington told police at the scene: ‘We were just play fighting. All my life I have put up with men putting their hands on me.’
As he jailed her Mr Justice William Davis said Brown-Wellington, who has some 65 previous convictions including assaults on police, still posed a risk to the public.
After she was sentenced Mr Carter’s grief-stricken family said he was ‘missed every single day’.
Charissa Brown-Wellington, 31, (right) was arrested in June when 30-year old Philip Carter (left) was crushed to death after the pair had a row at Manchester Victoria station
Charissa Brown-Wellington and Mr Carter were rowing before the fatal incident at Manchester Victoria rail station
As they stood at the packed railway station in June, Brown-Wellington shouted at Mr Carter: ‘What you looking at?’
Mr Carter then said something back to her, before Brown-Wellington added: ‘You what?’
As she stood in the dock, Brown-Wellington denied the exchanged before being reprimanded by the judge.
The court heard she then added: ‘What the f*** did you say?’
Mr Carter said: ‘Get the f*** out of my face you dirty skank.’
She replied: ‘You get the f*** out of my face.’
When emergency services arrived at the scene Brown-Wellington told them: ‘I didn’t mean it, he got in my face and was aggressive so I pushed him away.
‘We were just play fighting, he pushed me first and I pushed him back.
‘All my life I have put up with men putting their hands on me.’
Experts compiled a 250-page psychiatric report on Brown-Wellington which confirmed she has a ‘personality disorder’.
Brown-Wellington was originally charged with murder but admitted manslaughter at a hearing on 22 September.
The judge told her: ‘Mr Carter fell backwards and tragically fell between two cars of the tram. He was crushed to death in full view of any number of bystanders.
Doctors told the court that Brown-Wellington has a ‘personality disorder’ and that she has a ‘propensity for impulsive violence’
Mr Carter was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, June 12 after being pushed into the path of the oncoming tram
‘There was more than one victim in this case because the effect of what you did was so dreadful.
‘There was nothing accidental about you losing your temper and pushing this man forcefully.’
According to court records, in 2013 Brown-Wellington was jailed for four months for criminal damage, assaulting three police officers and using racially aggravated threatening or abusive words or behaviour.
Last April she was taken to court for fare-dodging on a tram.
She was classed as a dangerous offender and was given an extended three year sentence
Prosecutor Robert Hall told the court today: ‘The defendant was described as lairy and loud.
‘The victim was stood on the platform on his way home and both were strangers – although she was slightly taller and stockier than him.
‘As she got off the tram she said to Mr Carter “What are you looking at?”
‘She quickly pushed him to the shoulder and immediately after used both hands to the chest with force – and the force was described by witnesses as unnecessary.
‘The push forced him backwards onto the side of the tram which had just started to move off.
‘He fell into the gap and in affect was standing in between the two tram cars and was crushed at chest level. Witnesses described him screaming as he rotated at chest height, spinning him around.
‘He then fell onto the track and as the tram passed it was immediately clear that nothing could have been done for him. He died from multiple crushing injuries, resulting in rapid death.
‘A 16 year-old boy happened to witness what happened and his father described in some detail what a devastating affect it had on him.
‘It was described as other witnesses as absolutely dreadful.
‘The defendant was detained and heard to say: ‘All my life I have had to put up with men putting their hands on me,’ but there is no suggestion from the CCTV that the victim put his hands towards her.’
In mitigation defence counsel Mark Ford said the tragedy was the product of a ‘coincidence of circumstances’.
Brown-Wellington was initially charged with murder before pleading guilty to manslaughter, which the prosecution accepted.
She will serve three and a half years of her five year stretch behind bars and will be on licence until 2025.