A Newcastle teenager has been spared a prison sentence after admitting causing the death of a "loving dad" by dangerous driving. Jack Appleton was driving a Ford Fiesta and crashed into Andrew Robson's motorbike head-on after dangerously overtaking another car.
Mr Robson, 29, suffered catastrophic injuries following the collision on Spring Road in Murton, County Durham, on September 22, 2024. Appleton, who was aged 17 at the time and now 19, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Crash details
At Teesside Crown Court, it was said Mr Robson had travelled with friends to a car meet in the Dalton Park area that evening. Having arrived there at about 7pm, he decided to ride his motorcycle around the area before the location became busier.
Appleton, who had been driving towards the car meet, moved out of the line of traffic he was in and carried out a "dangerous overtaking manoeuvre" of the vehicle he had been behind, thus moving into the opposing carriageway. Mr Robson, clearly visible and seen by Appleton, was approaching on his motorcycle and the Ford Fiesta crashed into him head-on.
The road had a speed limit of 50mph and investigations showed Appleton was travelling at around 69mph to 70mph, though his speed may have dropped to 59mph at the point of impact with braking. It was said Appleton had misjudged the distance and speeds between himself and Mr Robson and there was not enough time to safely make the manoeuvre.
The teenager's car spun out of control and crashed into other vehicles in the vicinity. Mr Robson was thrown from his bike and suffered fatal injuries.
Family statements
In court, Mr Robson's family read out emotional statements, describing their loss and pain. His mum Julie said Andrew was the "loveliest boy". He went to Gosforth High School and had a paper round as a youngster, "getting up at the break of dawn to deliver his papers".
She added: "He turned into such a handsome young man. Andrew was the most kind person, he would help anyone. He was gifted with the most infectious smile. His personality drew people in." She explained that her son was a father of a "beautiful daughter" and he "loved her so much", and had two brothers and two sisters as well as other family and friends who had been left devastated.
She also described the day she received the news of her son's death over the phone. She said: "I remember asking how bad it was. He said 'bad'. I began to scream. I felt like my whole body had gone into shock."
Speaking about the impact on Mr Robson's daughter, Julie, who has since had PTSD as well as other health difficulties, said: "That little girl has cried for her daddy for two years. I now feel like I've lost everything. I need Jack Appleton to understand what he has done. The lives that he has destroyed."
Sentence
The court heard that Appleton, of Coach Lane, Hazlerigg, Newcastle, had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, he had a learning disability and had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the collision. He had no previous convictions and had gained employment as an apprentice.
Judge Amanda Rippon said she had a difficult decision to make and must follow guidelines. She sentenced the defendant as a 17-year-old, as that was his age at the time of the offence. She gave him three years in prison, suspended for three years. Appleton was also disqualified from driving for six years and ordered to carry out 280 hours of unpaid work.
Judge Rippon told him: "On 22 September, 2024, when you were 17, you drove your car too fast and tried to overtake another car when it was dangerous. A motorcycle was coming towards you. You had time to see, you saw it.
"But you got it wrong. You did not have the time or the space to overtake the car before the motorcycle got to you. Your car hit the motorcycle head-on.
"The rider, Andrew Robson, died. You made a very serious mistake. A man lost his life. His family and his friends have suffered a terrible loss. I have listened to everything that they have said to me and it was hard to listen to. They are terribly, terribly sad. I can't fix that, neither can you.
"I have considered everything that I have been told about you. You have never been in trouble before, you have not been in trouble since. You have shown that you are really sorry. You have autism, you have a learning disability and you have post-traumatic stress disorder. All of these things mean that a prison sentence would be harder for you."
Appleton's barrister told the court the defendant had expressed "clear palpable remorse". He said: "There are no words that I or he could put forward to express how sorry he is for their loss and how heavily he bears the responsibility for it." He further added: "His remorse here is deep."
