A 19-year-old e-bike rider has been jailed for killing an 86-year-old grandmother after hitting her at high speed on a zebra crossing while looking at his mobile phone. Billy Stokoe struck Gloria Stephenson near her home in the North East, and then fled the scene on the high-powered bike. Newcastle Crown Court heard he could not brake because he was distracted by his phone.
Gloria's family condemned Stokoe for showing no remorse, revealing that after the crash he asked to change his bail conditions so he could travel to Wembley to see Sunderland and go on holiday while they were planning her funeral. Her daughter Julie Francis said: "He is just a coward, thinking about himself. He left her alone to die like she is a bit of rubbish in the gutter."
Julie also criticised Stokoe for delaying his guilty plea, saying the family had to attend court three times before he admitted responsibility. "We had to go to Crown Court three times before he admitted his guilt, which I find disgusting," she said. "Obviously, it is traumatic for us but it wastes public money and police time."
Gloria, a widowed mother of four, had 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was out walking her daughter's dog when she was killed and had been planning a holiday to Lanzarote with friends. Her daughter Janine Murphy described her as "an amazing mum" with a "zest for life", adding: "It was not her time to go."
Julie paid tribute to her mother's achievements, recalling how Gloria started as a hospital cleaner and rose to become domestic services manager for Sunderland Health Authority. "She was a clever woman and really well respected," Julie said. "She loved her children and grandchildren."
The family have called for tougher action on e-bikes, with Julie describing them as "a menace" and urging communities to report reckless riders. "They are terrorising people, making you feel unsafe and threatened," she said. "As a community and as a society, we need to act."
