SOUTHPORT TAXI DRIVER GETS 30 YEARS FOR GRUESOME MURDERS
Andrew Flood, a taxi operator based on Clifton Road in Southport, has received a prison sentence of at least 30 years after admitting to the murders of two senior women, Margaret Biddolph aged 78 and Anne Leyland aged 88.Court proceedings revealed that Flood strangled both women inside their own residences, using a phone charger cable in one case and a dressing gown cord in the other.
Judge Clement Goldstone QC, sitting as Liverpool Recorder, described the crimes as 'unspeakably wicked' and noted that Flood took advantage of his familiarity with their homes, having worked as a private hire taxi driver with knowledge of their routines.
Flood, who was battling a gambling addiction and owed around £18,000, claimed these financial pressures contributed to his actions.
Prosecutor Nick Johnson QC stated that CCTV footage showed Flood smiling as he left a betting shop shortly after 3:00 pm following Mrs Leyland’s murder.
He then committed the killing of Mrs Biddolph before returning to the same betting shop later that day.
Flood eventually turned himself in to police, admitting to the murders while intoxicated.
Evidence from DNA and footmarks placed him at both scenes.
The judge highlighted that, despite seeming opportunistic, Flood’s motives were driven by financial strain and addiction.
He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated robbery of a passenger in a different incident.
The court recognized the brutality and wickedness involved, with Flood’s defense citing depression, alcohol misuse, and desperation factors.
Mrs Biddolph’s daughter, Anne Pearson, shared her family’s grief, remarking, 'Today’s sentencing delivers justice, but it will never replace our mother.
Her loss is something we will never fully recover from.' The case underscored Flood’s manipulative use of his knowledge about the victims’ habits and properties, betraying the trust placed in him as a taxi driver.
