A driver who raced a Northwich motorcyclist up to 73mph in a 40mph area has been jailed for four years for causing death by dangerous driving.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Paul Green, 29, of Runcorn, had been racing 26-year-old motorcyclist Aiden Davies, from Northwich, on the Central Expressway in Runcorn at around 9pm on Sunday, August 2, 2015.
Witnesses described seeing the men race around a left hand bend on the road and then seeing father-of-two Mr Davies lying in the road a few minutes later, after coming off his bike.
Despite drivers stopping and calling 999, paramedics were unable to revive Mr Davies and he was later pronounced dead at the scene.
The court heard that Green, who was known to Mr Davies, was driving a Ford Focus at the time, while the victim rode a Suzuki motorbike.
A witness said he saw the bike travelling from the up-ramp onto the Expressway at Halton Lea followed by the white Ford Focus.
Tests later showed that they were travelling at up to 73mph despite the fact that at the time of the incident, the slip road linking the Expressway and Halton Link Road was subject to a temporary 40 miles per hour speed limit because of roadworks.
One lane of the link road had been cordoned off, leaving just one lane for traffic and according to the witness, the Ford Focus was less than a metre from the back of the motorbike and it was clear that the two men were racing each other.
The witness then said both men appeared to be losing control of their vehicles as they approached the left hand bend on the turn off for Halton Lea and both the bike and the car were seen to be wobbling.
But Green was still driving very close to the back of the motorbike and at great speed, with no sign of him applying his brakes at all.
As the witness continued towards Halton Lea, he saw the motorcycle on its left hand side in the middle of the road with its smashed parts lying on the carriageway, then around 10m from the bike, he saw Mr Davies lying on his back with his legs in the road and his helmet off.
Green, who had stopped his car further on, was talking to the emergency services on his phone.
Following a trial, he was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and as well as the four year jail term, has been banned from driving for seven years.
Mr Davies’ mum, Julie Wood, said: “Nothing will bring Aiden back but we feel justice has finally been done.”
PC Cath Hilton said: “Cases like this are devastating for both sides. Mr Davies’ family have lost a loved one and Green has been found responsible for his death.
“We can only hope that the awful consequences of this incident act as a warning to others about the dangers of acting irresponsibly on our roads can be. Green is now starting a prison sentence of four years and will have to carry the death of Mr Davies on his conscience for the rest of his life.”
A commendation was issued by Judge Watson QC for witness Sean Jennings for tending to Mr Davies at the scene and for helping at the roadside.
Leigh Ann Wardman, Senior Crown Prosecutor with MerseyCheshire Crown Prosecution Service, (CPS) said: “In this case, the Crown Prosecution Service had to decide if Green’s driving was dangerous and if it had caused the death of Mr Davies.
“A charge of dangerous driving is appropriate if the driving shown falls FAR below that which would be expected of a competent and careful driver. CPS guidance says that racing and competitive driving is an example of driving considered to be dangerous.
“The more difficult question was whether that driving had contributed to Mr Davies’s death. It was clear that both men had been racing each other and driving at speed.
“The CPS said that if Green had not been driving in the way he was – so close to the back of the motorbike and at such speed – this tragedy wouldn’t have happened.
“The jury has agreed with that and found Green guilty. The CPS would like to extend our condolences to the family of Mr Davies who are trying to come to terms with the tragic results of that day.”
