A teenage e-biker under the influence of drugs has been sentenced to prison after striking and killing an 86-year-old great-grandmother on a zebra crossing in Sunderland, then fleeing the scene. Billy Stokoe, 19, was riding a high-powered Sur-Ron Light Bee X e-bike at speed while wearing a balaclava and holding a mobile phone in his left hand, reading messages moments before the collision on May 16, 2024.
Fatal Collision
The impact killed Gloria Stephenson instantly near her home. Stokoe dismounted, walked back to observe the victim, then remounted and rode away. He was later arrested after his mother brought him to a police station, where his first words were, "Is she dead?"
Court Sentencing
On Friday, Newcastle Crown Court sentenced Stokoe to six years and nine months after he admitted causing death by dangerous driving, driving without a license, and driving an uninsured vehicle. He will serve up to half his sentence in a young offenders' institution and is banned from driving for five years after release.
Ms Stephenson's family expressed outrage at Stokoe's lack of remorse, noting that he applied to change his bail conditions to attend a Sunderland football match and go on holiday while they were arranging her funeral. Her daughter Julie Francis said, "He ran off and left her like she was nothing. He is just a coward."
Family's Call for Action
The family has called for high-powered e-bikes to be banned from public roads. Superintendent Billy Mulligan of Northumbria Police described the incident as an "accident waiting to happen," noting that the bike could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds and was designed for off-road use only.
Ms Stephenson, a fit and active great-grandmother, was walking her daughter's dog to achieve her daily 10,000 steps and had three holidays planned at the time of her death. Her daughters remembered her as "beautiful, intelligent, fiercely independent" with a "zest for life."
Stokoe's guilty plea came only after three Crown Court appearances, prolonging the family's anguish. The case highlights the dangers of modified e-bikes and the consequences of reckless driving under the influence of drugs.
