Drink driver dad jailed after son, 12, killed as he crossed motorway after car crash
A driver who was so drunk[1] he was "hardly able to talk" before his son died crossing a motorway[2] has been jailed[3] for 10 years. A court heard Matthew Rycroft's autistic son Callum Rycroft, 12, was struck by a car as he attempted to cross the M62 late at night. The 37-year-old had earlier been drinking heavily at a cricket club and visited his parents in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with his son before crashing on a slip road.
Callum was killed when he was hit by a car as he tried to cross between junctions 25 and 26 of the M62on August 5 at around 9.50pm. Prosecutors said he had no speed awareness due to his disability and "should have been under the protection of his father".
Callum's devastated mum said he was 'loved by everyone' (West Yorkshire Police / SWNS)Michael Smith, prosecuting, told the court he was seen to down pints of lager, along with shots of spirits and was "hardly able to talk and was slurring" by the evening. His parents had urged him not to drive and offered him a place to stay overnight, but he refused and drove away with Calum in his SUV.
During the journey, his concerned mum and dad called him again and urged him to stop driving, but Callum was heard in the background saying: "Dad won't stop." After the crash the pair walked towards the main carriageway. Callum called his mother and dialled 999, but Rycroft told him to end the call.
They were seen to cross the lanes to the central reservation, with Callum helping his drunken dad. Callum, who "worshipped the ground his father walked on", was struck by an oncoming vehicle, landing on the opposite carriageway.
The youngster died as he tried to cross the motorway (West Yorkshire Police / SWNS)Rycroft pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter, one count of dangerous driving, and one count of failing to provide a specimen for analysis. He will have to serve at least two-thirds of the sentence and was banned from driving for nine years and seven months.
Callum's mum Claire Bancroft said her son was "loved by everyone". She added: "Callum like any other child should have had the opportunity to grow up and go to college. He was only 12, he had his whole life ahead of him.
What makes matters worse, if that could be possible, is that my children have lost their dad as well as their brother and they know Callum is not here because of their dad.
Matt has torn the family apart, he has hurt a lot of people, but mostly he has let Callum down, all because of his selfishness."