Chilling roadside footage has captured the moment a teenage e-biker, high on cannabis and distracted by his mobile phone, struck and killed an 86-year-old great-grandmother on a zebra crossing before fleeing the scene in Sunderland.
Fatal Collision on Zebra Crossing
Billy Stokoe, 19, was riding a high-powered Sur-Ron Light Bee X bike unlawfully on public roads at speed on May 16 last year. While reading messages on a mobile phone held in his left hand, he failed to brake and collided with Gloria Stephenson, a devoted mother of four and grandmother of 13. The force of the impact killed her instantly.
Roadside cameras captured Stokoe being thrown from the bike after the collision. He then removed his balaclava, ran to check on his victim, but instead of aiding her, he remounted the bike and fled the scene. He was later arrested after his mother took him to a local police station to hand himself in. His first words to officers were: "Is she dead?"
Court Sentencing
On Friday at Newcastle Crown Court, Stokoe was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail after admitting causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving unlicensed, and causing death while driving an uninsured vehicle. He will serve up to half of his sentence before being eligible for release and will be banned from driving for five years after release.
Family's Heartbreak
Ms Stephenson's family described her as "beautiful, intelligent, fiercely independent" with a "zest for life." A widow three times, she had a successful career in the NHS and was fit and active, walking her daughter's dog to complete her daily 10,000 steps. She was about to go on holiday to Lanzarote, where she had many friends.
Her daughter, Lisa Trench, said: "You on your illegal defective bike. You, speeding. You, on your phone. You, under the influence of cannabis. Mam didn’t stand a chance." Another daughter, Julie Francis, added: "He ran off and left her like she was nothing. He is just a coward, thinking only of himself. He left her alone to die like she was rubbish in the gutter."
Lack of Remorse
The family condemned Stokoe's lack of remorse. Eight days after killing Ms Stephenson, Stokoe went to Wembley to watch Sunderland play and applied for bail amendments to go abroad on holiday. It also took three Crown Court appearances before he entered a guilty plea. Ms Francis said: "We had to go to Crown Court three times before he admitted his guilt, which I find disgusting. It wastes public money and police time."
"Ten days after he killed my mother, he applied to have his bail changed so he could go to Wembley. Then he applied to go on holiday. This young man showed no remorse whatsoever. That adds to our trauma and anger."
Police Investigation
Superintendent Billy Mulligan of Northumbria Police said Stokoe had been seen riding dangerously around Sunderland, weaving through traffic shortly before the collision. He described it as an "accident waiting to happen," noting that these bikes can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph faster than most cars. "He was seen riding at speed for most of the day, without using his hands or brake, weaving in and out of traffic. He ignored the normal route, overtook, and hit Gloria Stephenson on the zebra crossing."
CCTV showed Stokoe fleeing to an associate's address, hiding the bike, and walking away as if nothing happened. His own mother told him to turn himself in. The family now calls for changes in the law to address the menace of such bikes on the streets.
