Billy Stokoe’s mother handed him over to the police
A teenage e‑bike rider high on cannabis was captured on CCTV fleeing the scene after fatally mowing down a great‑grandmother on a zebra crossing.
The incident, which took place in Sunderland, was described in court as “an accident waiting to happen” as Billy Stokoe, 19, was jailed for six years and nine months after ploughing into 86‑year‑old Gloria Stephenson.
The teen had been scrolling through messages on his mobile phone and was unable to brake with his left hand occupied. The impact killed Ms Stephenson instantly; the devoted mother of four and grandmother of 13 had been out walking her daughter’s dog on May 16 last year.
Footage from roadside cameras shows Stokoe being thrown from his high‑powered £4,000 Sur‑Ron Light Bee X, an off‑road machine being ridden illegally on public roads, before removing his balaclava, approaching his victim, and then climbing back onto the bike to flee, leaving her dying in the road.
Stokoe’s mother handed him over to the police and, after arriving at the local police station, he asked officers, “Is she dead?”
On Friday (May 15), at Newcastle Crown Court, Stokoe was sentenced after admitting causing death by dangerous driving, causing death while driving unlicensed and causing death while driving an uninsured vehicle at an earlier hearing.
He will serve up to half of his sentence before becoming eligible for release, and will be banned from driving for five years after his release.
Ms Stephenson’s family spoke of the devastating loss of a “beautiful, intelligent, fiercely independent” great-grandmother with a “zest for life”. Ms Stephenson, who had been widowed three times, had enjoyed a successful career in the NHS.
She also had four daughters, who described her as fit and active, adding that she was looking forward to a holiday in Lanzarote, where she had a “huge circle of friends”.
“You, on your illegal defective bike. You, speeding. You, on your phone. You, under the influence of cannabis. Mam didn’t stand a chance,” said Ms Stephenson’s daughter, Lisa Trench.
Her sister, Julie Francis, said: “He ran off and left her like she was nothing. I don’t know what he will do in the future, but he will never ever hold a light to our mum. He is just a coward, thinking only of himself. He left her alone to die like she was rubbish in the gutter.”
The court heard how Stokoe travelled to Wembley Stadium to watch Sunderland play just eight days after killing the pensioner. He then applied for his bail to be amended so he could go abroad on holiday.
The 19-year-old was also condemned for making three Crown Court appearances before entering a guilty plea.
“We had to go to Crown Court three times before he admitted his guilt, which I find disgusting. Obviously, it is traumatic for us but it wastes public money and police time. There is no consideration for the community and for people suffering,” Ms Francis said.
“Ten days after he killed my mother, he actually applied to have his bail changed so he could go and see Sunderland in the play offs at Wembley. And then he applied to go on holiday as well. So this young man showed no remorse whatsoever.
“And that just adds to our trauma and our anger really. We have all seen these bikes on the streets and they are a menace. So the law needs to be changed.”
Ms Murphy added: “Even when we were planning the funeral, he was asking about the holiday he had booked before he killed our mother. It was like it was an inconvenience, ‘I’ve just killed somebody and I need to go on holiday’. That’s not a remorseful person.”
When Northumbria Police issued a public appeal for information, Stokoe’s mum took him to the nearest police station to hand himself in.
Superintendent Billy Mulligan, of Northumbria Police, who led the investigation, said Stokoe had been seen riding dangerously around Sunderland and weaving through traffic shortly before the collision.
He described it as an “accident waiting to happen”, saying: “These bikes are very fast, they can go from 0 to 60 mph faster than most cars.”
Supt Mulligan said: “He was seen riding the bike at speed for most of the day. Footage before the incident shows him riding without using his hands, without using the brake, weaving in and out of traffic, and going around parked and moving cars.
“Billy ignored the normal route, overtook, and hit Gloria Stephenson on the zebra crossing. The first thing he does is go back, get on his bike and then realise what he has done.
“Members of the public are helping Gloria but he gets back on his bike and leaves the area. CCTV shows him fleeing to an associate’s address, where he hides the bike and walks away as if nothing happened. His own mother tells him to turn himself in. He admitted causing death by dangerous driving.”
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