A teenager who killed his best friend when he crashed an off-road bike into a car in a ‘thrillseeking expedition’ has been jailed.
Scott Wilson, 19, had only been out of a young offenders’ institute for six weeks when he took pals Chris Mason, 18 and Lewis Addison, 19, on a high speed ride down a busy road.
Wilson, who had no licence or insurance for his Yamaha 125cc, hit a car that was nudging out of a side street in Manchester Road, Denton.
All three teenagers were catapulted from the bike. Mr Mason, a trainee scaffolder and keen footballer, was thrown under a bus and suffered fatal injuries.
Who else has beeen locked up in October? Sentences and photo gallery
At Manchester Crown Court Wilson was jailed for three years four months for causing death by dangerous driving. He was banned from driving for five years.
The court heard how Wilson, who pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing, jogged from the scene after the crash on February 2, and had to be restrained by a witness until the police arrived.
Prosecuting, Michael Morley said Wilson, of Spring Avenue, Hyde, had picked both friends up on the bike which had no speedometer, no lights, off-road tyres and nowhere for passengers to sit or put their feet.
One witness on nearby Windmill Lane pulled her friend back from the pavement as the trio, who were laughing and not wearing helmets, approached and was so concerned by their speed that she called police. Another witness, Robert Moyes, who was in a Mercedes van which Wilson overtook, told officers after the crash it was ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
Seconds later disaster struck. After hitting a silver Ford Focus Wilson was thrown past the bus, said Mr Morley, ‘amazingly’ escaping with cuts and bruises.
He then pushed his bike to the side of the road and began to jog from the scene, claiming he was going to get help from his father before he was restrained by a witness.
Mr Mason was taken to Tameside General Hospital and died an hour later. Mr Addison spent three weeks in hospital with broken bones.
Daniel Travers, defending Wilson, who has previous convictions for criminal damage, arson, theft and burglary, said that each of the teenagers had to take some responsibility for getting on the bike in the first place.
Consequences
He said: “He (Wilson) will forever regret his behaviour, he will forever live with the consequences.”
Giving Wilson credit for his early guilty plea, Judge Anthony Gee QC described it as ‘a sad and tragic case’. He added: “The clock cannot be turned back, I am sure you will appreciate that. This was described by a probation officer as a thrillseeking expedition.
“Mr Moyes described it as an accident waiting to happen. How right he was. You will live the rest of your life with the knowledge that your dangerous driving caused the death of your best friend and that will be forever a burden, of that I have no doubt.”
Wilson showed little emotion throughout the trial. Members of his family sobbed as details of the crash were read out.
After the case Mr Mason's family paid tribute to their son.
They said that they hoped ‘lessons would be learned from this tragedy that has destroyed three families’.
Who else has beeen locked up in October? Sentences and photo gallery
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Although its a shame that someone has lost their life, this should be a lesson to all the young lads you do see on these bikes, on road when they shouldnt be, no protective gear when they should have.
This morning I saw a young lad on a road legal scooter, helmet on but strap not fastened so as useless as a chocolate fireguard, wearing only a trackie...
When you're young you're invincible, unfortunately its not really the truth..
Shame that something so simple can't be learned, except the hardest way. All those lives ruined. Pity it won't be the last.
And to answer the inevitable retorts, yes I was young once, and no I did not and would not ride 3 up on a motorbike. I valued my health and my bike far too much for that.
People are so arrogant,they really do think accidents only happen to other people.
This lad is a nasty piece of work, he should have got longer,
I have absolutely no sympathy for these people,These people terrorise housing estates and make peoples lives a misery whilst putting other peoples lives at risk.
I knew at a pre-teen age the importance of safety....
Just another one of your Greater Manchester shaved head, sticky out eared thugs, who will be in and out of prison for the next fifty years, because your very very weak magistrates and Judges do not have any b--- to jail them for much longer periods.
nasty piece of work, he should have got longer
Once again this liberal legal/law system we have isnt working these people keep offending.
Should have been done for manslaughter.
tragic but theres two clowns who have crossers flying up errwood road every day at the same time ..cant wait for them to fall off really ha
ouch my head ha
You can not sympathize with idiots like this, I sympathize with the local 'Normal' people living in the area who have had to endure this moron's reckless actions over the years. Its not IF its WHEN the kills himself or some other poor sod. Just look at his face, completely gormless, head full of candy floss. I bet the local residence have sighed with relief now he's banged up for a bit. If the police had taken some action when he had been reported flying around on this bike with no helmet his mate would not be dead. When you are that stupid you need protecting from yourself and most importantly protecting others. Thank god he did not run into, and kill someone simply crossing the road. I am sure he will enjoy his holiday inside !
6 weeks!!??...pathetic!! No doubt he will be a regular patron of the the UK's penal system.
That'll be something to mull over for the rest of his life.
I remember when this was first reported, a girlfriend of these clowns comming on & blogging about what nice lads they are, and how none of us knew them and shouldn't be commenting. Well it looks like she was either lying or extremely naeve or possibly both.
These bikes & quads are a menace I think every estate has a few being ridden around by aggressive thugs who know what they are doing is wrong, but simply don't care. Thanks to government & civil service stupidity and judicial greed the Police are not allowed to even appear to persue them, and as a consequence they don't even try. We have to ask the question why Liebour did not ban these machines when they realised what was happening. We are constantly being told that road safety is a high priority, but that does not seem to apply when the Police or government cannot make any money out of it.
Unfortunately young men are too stupid & arrogant to even consider that they too might end up in similar circumstances, we can expect that there will be further accidents like this in the future (wasn't there a similar one with three people on a quad near Oldham as well?).
“He (Wilson) will forever regret his behaviour"...
I doubt it and I have no sympathy. These idiots are a menace to society and just don't care.
"One witness on nearby Windmill Lane pulled her friend back from the pavement as the trio, who were laughing and not wearing helmets"
So glad that no innocent members of the public got caught up in this. No sympathy for any of these 3 low-life clowns.
"Giving Wilson credit for his early guilty plea", what other plea could he give, riding the bike crashed the bike with two other losers of society. He should have got 10 years. When is this country going to overhaul the sentencing tarriff's? He will be laughing not full of remorse bigging it up in his cosy cell. Joke.........
Stupid and immature...
Wilson, who had no licence or insurance for >>>his<<< Yamaha 125cc, hit a car that was nudging out of a side street in Manchester Road, Denton....INCORRECT!
I believe he STOLE his brother's off road bike and took it for a joy ride but no mention of doing time for TWOK aswell as death by dangerous driving!
hmmmm so he stole a illegal motorbike put a lot of people in danger with his antics......kills his best friend then tries to run away, this sniveling little coward should have got 30 years not 3...........it will only happen again
"Giving Wilson credit for his early guilty plea"
why is admitting what you have done always a good thing? Surely he will time off his sentance for admitting his crime...its ridiculous!
ur all pathetic people with nothing bettter to do then interfier in other peoples lifes get a job n stop waitin for the advertiser to cum frew ur dooor so u can......stik ur nose in n out ov every1s lives!!!! at the endov the day scott will regret for the rest ov his life what happend tht day on the bike n if he could he would turn the clock back but he cant he is hurtin jus as much as every1 else.....not like he did it on purpose!
Wilson, your a stupid young fool..........This will haunt you for the rest of your life.