North East killer drivers who caused fatal collisions by their bad driving

These North East killer drivers have all been prosecuted after causing fatal collisions. The five criminals, whose actions on the road caused the deaths of others, have been dealt with in court. From Newcastle[1] to Northumberland[2] and County Durham[3], these harrowing incidents have caused people in the region to lose their lives.

The carelessness of these drivers has took loved ones away from their families, and they have now been punished. Here are five killer drivers who were brought in front of a judge after being caught by police. David Stewart

A dangerous motorcyclist who killed his friend while driving 100mph as he was trying to escape the police has been jailed for over 10 years.

Disqualified driver David Stewart was speeding in Peterlee[4], County Durham[5], with passenger Lee Stevenson, in the early hours of March 25, 2023. He crashed into a roundabout, throwing himself and Lee Stevenson off the bike, where the passenger died at the scene. Toxicology reports showed that he had cocaine in his system.

He was sentenced to 11 years in prison at Durham Crown Court. Read the full story here.[6] Owen Rutherford

A killer driver who was speeding in Birtley[7] smashed into a family's car, killing the 69-year-old driver and injuring several others.

David Hain died, his 25-year-old daughter Megan suffered severe brain injuries and has been left unable to communicate, his wife, Phillipa, and another person were seriously injured, and the family dog, Millie, was also killed. Rutherford was found to be over the limit for a cocaine breakdown product, and tests showed he had been doing no less than 85mph at the time of the collision. Rutherford, 25, of Ridsdale, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and was jailed for eleven years and four months.

Read the full story here.[8][9] Ryan Elsender

A teenager out riding his bike with friends was knocked off and killed by a speeding danger driver in Newcastle[10], who had the victim's cousin and a toddler in the car. Ryan Elsender sped up to 71mph on a 30mph road to accelerate past a group of youths on bikes.

But he slammed into 16-year-old Jayden McGuinness, leaving him fatally injured. Elsender's passenger, Ethan Tait, was Jayden's cousin, and was forced to face the heartbreaking discovery that he was the victim. His partner's 18-month old child was also in the car with him at the time.

Elsender, 29, of Lichfield Avenue, Walker, who has 12 previous convictions, was jailed for eight years and banned from driving for 15-and-a-half years. Read the full story here.[11][12] Sophie Waugh

A killer driver had been "persistently" on social media in the moments before she drove into grandfather Ian Morris, 71, who was riding his bike. Sophie Waugh, 31, who was a serving soldier at the time of the offence, was at the wheel of a Ford Focus which into the back of Mr Morris on his bike, on the A6055 near Thirsk in North Yorkshire. Formerly of Longleat Gardens, South Shields[13] and now of Broadway West, Dormanstown, Redcar, she has been sentenced to serve time in jail at Teesside Crown Court.

Waugh was jailed for six years and eight months and banned for driving for the extent of her custodial sentence, plus an additional 12 months. Read the full story here.[14] John Butters

A North Tyneside[15] courier was spared jail for causing the death of John Rowe, a 61-year-old mobility scooter user. John Butters, 56, was reversing his van on Thorpe Close in the West End of Newcastle[16] on January 6, 2023, when he struck Mr Rowe who was on the road in a mobility scooter. He died eight weeks after the crash, with a post-mortem investigation finding that the cause of his death was aspirational pneumonia combined with the traumatic brain injury he suffered in the collision.

Butters, of Bridge Terrace, Shiremoor, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving, and was given a 41-week suspended sentence for two years. Read the full story here.[17][18]

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References

1. ^ Newcastle (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
2. ^ Northumberland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
3. ^ County Durham (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
4. ^ Peterlee (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
5. ^ County Durham (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
6. ^ here. (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
7. ^ Birtley (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
8. ^ Northumberland (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
9. ^ here. (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
10. ^ Newcastle (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
11. ^ Walker (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
12. ^ here. (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
13. ^ South Shields (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
14. ^ here. (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
15. ^ North Tyneside (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
16. ^ West End of Newcastle (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
17. ^ Shiremoor (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
18. ^ here. (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
19. ^ Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp community (chat.whatsapp.com)
20. ^ click on the link (chat.whatsapp.com)
21. ^ privacy notice (www.reachplc.com)
22. ^ CLICK HERE TO JOIN (chat.whatsapp.com)