A teenager thought he wouldn't see his mum again as a laughing carjacker sped off with her screaming inside his vehicle. Daniel Riley kept the terrified woman captive in the passenger seat for around 10 minutes while travelling at speeds of up to 70mph, having asked her: "Do you want to die? I will kill us both."
Carjacking Ordeal
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Tracey and Callum Yardley were known to Riley as neighbours of one of his friends prior to the incident on July 6 last year. That day, the son had been out driving in his Citroen C4 car with his mum due to him only holding a provisional licence.
Shannon Stewart, prosecuting, described how Mr Yardley then dropped his mum at her home on Densham Avenue in Longford, Warrington, having intended to return home on his bicycle. However, when the 19-year-old stepped out of the driver's seat, Riley entered in his place and told his mum: "This is a nice car."
Having remained in the passenger seat, Mrs Yardley shouted for the 39-year-old defendant to get out of the car. But he instead told her that "it was his vehicle" and drove away at speed with her still inside.
Threats and Speeding
With Riley, of Ulverston Avenue in the town, having smelled strongly of alcohol, Mrs Yardley screamed for him to stop as he travelled at speeds of up to 70mph over the following 10 minutes, leaving her fearing that she was going to die. He even told her at one stage: "My friend died today. Do you want to die? I will kill us both."
Riley later briefly pulled over on nearby Gough Avenue but sped off again before Mrs Yardley was able to leave the car, at which stage she continued to "beg him to stop". However, he responded by "yelling at her and telling her to stop crying".
Return and Attack
Having returned to Gough Avenue, Riley then let Mrs Yardley out of the vehicle before speeding away once more. He then continued back to Densham Avenue, where he was said to have driven towards Mr Yardley but "slammed on the brakes, stopping only a foot away".
The vehicle's owner then placed his hands on the bonnet in a bid to stop Riley, although he instead began driving down the street at speeds of around 20mph with his victim clinging to the front of the car. Having left the scene again, he then returned once more in the Citroen and punched one of the wing mirrors off before repeatedly slamming and kicking the driver's side door.
Arrest and Injuries
With police having been called to the scene, Riley threatened to fight the officers and had to be brought under control using incapacitant spray. Even then, he continued to "lash out" and bit one PC to the neck before eventually being restrained and found in possession of a small bag of cannabis.
Having been taken into custody, he was found to have 47 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms. Mrs Yardley was meanwhile treated for whiplash injuries at Warrington Hospital.
Victim Impact Statements
Reading a statement from the witness box, she told the court during the hearing: "I begged Riley to stop. He just laughed at me, saying 'I want to die and I'm taking you with me'. I was so frightened and scared.
"I panic in a car. I have to carry sick bags if I'm going too far. I have panic attacks where I start to sweat. All this is due to this incident, which should have never happened. I now have all these ongoing issues, which I shouldn't have to live with."
Mr Yardley meanwhile reported that he had to scrap his car for £80 as a result of the incident, having previously purchased it for £400. He added in his own statement: "Riley took my car with my mum still in it. My stomach completely turned. I thought I wouldn't see my mum again."
Defence and Sentencing
Sarah Griffin, defending, said on his behalf: "Essentially, and very unfortunately, the victims got caught up in the defendant's mental health crisis. In my submission, this defendant is genuinely sorry for his actions. He has taken the time to write an apology letter to his victim. He has left it at home, for which he sincerely apologises."
Riley admitted aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, making threats to kill, criminal damage, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis. Wearing a grey Under Armour t-shirt in the dock, he waved to a supporter in the public gallery as he was led to the cells after being jailed for 26 months.
Sentencing, Recorder Timothy Hannam KC said: "In short, you drove off in Callum Yardley's car from outside his mother's home while his mother, Tracey Yardley, was sitting in the passenger seat. You had been drinking and had taken a significant quantity of sleeping tablets, and antidepressants, apparently in an extreme overreaction to the death of a friend the day before."
Riley was also disqualified from driving for a total of 25 months. He was meanwhile banned from contacting the Yardleys or entering their street for the next five years.
