Hit-and-run driver jailed for 10 years after killing mother at 90mph on A19
The family of a mother killed by a hit-and-run driver travelling at more than 100mph have expressed they are enduring unimaginable pain following his 10-year prison sentence. Ryan Scott, aged 28, was driving at a staggering 112mph merely five seconds before colliding with Claire Laybourne, 39, who was returning home with her mother from a Christmas theatre outing.
Details of the fatal collision
Both vehicles were on the northbound carriageway of the A19 in North Tyneside when the crash occurred on December 5 last year. Scott's Skoda Fabia had its anti-lock braking system activate just prior to impact, yet he was still moving at almost 90mph when he struck Laybourne's Volkswagen T-Roc. The conditions were treacherous, with heavy rain and no street lights illuminating the road.
Miss Laybourne had been carefully navigating around a broken-down car in the left-hand lane when Scott, determined to overtake, approached at what a witness described as an unbelievable speed. The collision produced a sound likened to a bomb explosion. Scott fled the scene on foot before emergency services arrived, leaving Laybourne critically injured; she was hospitalised but succumbed to her injuries the following day.
Legal proceedings and sentencing
Police later tracked Scott using a saliva DNA sample from his car's airbag, which matched perfectly. He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while unlicensed and uninsured, and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. However, charges related to causing death while over the limit for drugs were denied, as prosecutors could not prove whether cocaine use occurred before or after the crash due to his delayed arrest.
At Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Tim Gittins condemned Scott's decision to flee as cowardly, stating that Miss Laybourne's death was unnecessary and wholly avoidable. Scott received a 10-year jail term and a driving ban of 13 years and eight months, effective upon his release.
Family impact and statements
Claire Laybourne, from Hebburn in South Tyneside, was a mother to seven-year-old George and 22-year-old Faye, who resides in New Zealand. Her mother, Heather Appleby, who suffered broken ribs, brain bleeding, and severe whiplash in the crash, shared her grief: Claire was my only daughter, and she was my best friend. I feel guilty because I survived when she had so much more living to do.
In a heartfelt statement, Miss Laybourne's partner of 14 years, Ben Dewar, reflected on their loss: Claire lives on in her children. I see her kindness, her gentleness, and her beautiful soul reflected in them both every day. While that brings comfort, it also deepens the pain, because she should be here to see it herself. He added that they had planned to marry in September and described waking up each morning without her as restarting the heartbreak.
Heather Appleby concluded: The loss of Claire is something I don’t think I’ll ever get over, but the loss to her partner, daughter and her little boy is truly horrendous. Claire was beautiful, funny, smart and loving. She was the kindest person I’ve ever known, and it was a privilege to be her mother.
