Car show-off’s trail of grief
Reporter: Court reporter
Date published: 31 March 2010
A SPEEDING show-off young driver who killed a motorcyclist and left a woman permanently disabled, has been locked up for three years.
Dad-of-two Roy Ashton (46) was catapulted 20 yards from his new motorbike and suffered fatal injuries when 20-year-old Stuart Halliday sped round a corner on the wrong side of Green Lane, Failsworth, and collided with him head-on in May last year.
Mr Ashton’s financee, Nikki Thomas (47) was also flung from the bike and missed her partner’s funeral while she lay in a coma for six weeks.
She has been left with permanent pelvic and leg injuries and is confined to a wheelchair, cared for by her teenage son.
Yesterday, Halliday, of Tennyson Road, Droylsden, was starting a three-year term in a young offenders institution after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court was told that Nikki Thomas, a former bank worker, had brought her partner of seven years the motorbike just a week earlier for the pair to go touring together.
The pair, who were due to marry this year, had left their home in Hyde on the evening of May 29 to show a friend the new bike.
Miss Vanessa Thomson, prosecuting, said Halliday had picked up a friend and was travelling in his VW Polo at speeds of up to 50mph in the residential area that evening.
Defending Halliday, Mr Richard Clewes said Halliday was truly sorry for what happened.
Judge Peter Lakin said: “In my judgment, the harsh reality of this case is that you were showing off to a friend. That irresponsible bravado had a terrible consequence.”
Speaking outside court, Miss Thomas blasted the court system for not setting tougher sentences for dangerous drivers, and said that young drivers should be made to take the advanced driving test to improve standards on the road.
