Teen killed motorbike rider with speeding overtake

A speeding teenage driver killed an oncoming motorbike rider with a "highly dangerous" overtake of queuing traffic, a court has heard.

Jack Appleton was 17 when he hit 29-year-old Andrew Robson on Spring Road in Murton, County Durham, on 22 September, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Appleton, now aged 19 and of Coach Lane in Hazlerigg, Newcastle, admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

His sentencing was put off to Thursday as Judge Amanda Rippon said she needed more details to determine whether his "inevitable" prison sentence could be suspended.

Appleton was approaching a slow moving queue of traffic well in excess of the 50mph speed limit and "decided to overtake when it was obviously dangerous", Rippon said.

Mr Robson was travelling in the opposite direction and "could be seen", the court heard.

The judge said the presence of other vehicles and pedestrians also contributed to Appleton's overtake being a "highly dangerous manoeuvre".

But she said she needed further information about Appleton's learning difficulties and how his condition, alluded to in defence note, and age could affect the sentence before making a decision.

The judge said Appleton, who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of the crash, had expressed "genuine remorse" and was "desperately sorry".

Appleton was a 17-year-old "man-boy" whose driving went "catastrophically wrong and killed a man", the judge said.

She told his legal team they needed to "improve quite spectacularly" their submissions on his behalf, adding: "You need to give me a little bit of help if you think I am even close to being able to think about suspending this."

Addressing the public gallery where relatives of both the killer and victim were seated, Rippon said she was "acutely aware no-one would be happy" with her decision to delay the sentencing in such a "tragic" case.

Rippon said she was "extremely sorry", but added when it came to the sentence there was "no way a judge can ever make two sides in cases like this content with the outcome".

The court heard restrictions had been imposed on the number of people who could sit in the gallery in courtroom 11 because of issues involving some of the parties outside the building.

She asked the families to "reflect upon the feelings and views of the opposite side".

On one hand there was a family who had "hopelessly, stupidly and tragically" lost their son, brother and father whom they would "never get back", the judge said.

"I can't bring Mr Robson back by anything I do in this room," Rippon said, adding: "I don't think anything I do in this room will help ease the pain either."

But on the other side was a "17-year-old man-boy" who for a "few minutes" drove his car "really dangerously", the judge said, adding the impact on him would be "lifelong", albeit he had "not lost anyone" like the victim's family had.

Appleton's family had also been heavily affected by the crash, the judge said.

Rippon told Appleton he would "certainly" get a prison sentence, the "only question" was whether there were factors in the case and his personal circumstances that meant it ought to be suspended.

"I have not decided what I am doing yet," the judge said, but warned Appleton he should arrive at court on Thursday "ready to go to prison".

Appleton was released on bail.

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