Lorry driver ‘distracted by pornography’ on phone before killing dad-of-two
ITV Granada Reports correspondent Rob Smith was in court for the sentencing hearing
A lorry driver with an "arrogant and selfish attitude to driving" was scrolling pornography on his phone moments before crashing into the back of a car - killing a father-of-two, a court has heard.
Danny Aitchison, 46, died when the "heavily distracted" Neil Platt, 43, failed to spot the stationary traffic on the road ahead of him while driving along the M58 at Skelmersdale[1], in Lancashire[2], on 17 May 2024. Advertisement Advertisement
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Dashcam footage showed Platt looking at his phone, as photographs of naked women appeared on his X social media feed.
The distracted driver struck Mr Aithchison's Hyundai Kona car at 57mph as he waited at the end of a queue, pushing it into the rear of a tanker.
The dad-of-two's car exploded into flames on impact.
Danny's daughter told Platt "you didn't mean to kill my dad, but you must've known your actions could have killed someone". Credit: Family picture/Lancashire Police
Jailing Platt for 10 years, Judge Ian Unsworth KC said he was a "multi-tonne accident waiting to happen".
"Your arrogant and selfish attitude to driving was quite breathtaking," he said.
"You willingly and without any excuse chose to ignore the laws of the road.
"This was not a one-off glance on your phone... you were looking at such things as X, TikTok and YouTube. Advertisement
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"The collision that occurred could have happened anywhere along that journey.
"The blunt reality is you travelled well over 100 miles in what was sometimes a highly distracted state.
"In short, you were a multi-tonne accident waiting to happen."
Platt was jailed for 10 years after a judge told him he had been "distracted by doing something so mindblowingly stupid". Credit: Lancashire Police
Platt, of Bootle, Merseyside[3], pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing the death of Mr Aitchison, from Liverpool.
He will serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody and on his release will be banned from driving for seven years.
Preston Crown Court heard that Platt persistently viewed content on his phone during a three-hour journey from Dumfries, Scotland, along the M6 and then when he joined the westbound carriageway of the M58.
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The collision took place just before 1pm after police had earlier put in place a rolling roadblock after reports of a woman pedestrian on the motorway.
Mr Aitchison was at the end of a queue in lane one but Platt failed to notice the stationary traffic and applied his brakes only 35 metres away and just 1.5 seconds before impact.
Dashcam footage showed Platt distracted by his phone
Judge Unsworth said there was no evidence to suggest the defendant was searching for porn before the crash but said he had "prioritised looking at social media" over the welfare and safety of other road users.
He told him: "You were distracted by doing something so mindblowingly stupid. Advertisement Advertisement
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"You were not paying attention to what was ahead but you were paying attention to your phone.
"It beggars belief that while in charge of that muli-tonne vehicle you were looking at social media and scrolling X in which some of the content was pornographic in nature."
A family tribute issued at the time described Danny as a "generous, hardworking family man with a mischievous sense of humour". Credit: Family picture/Lancashire Police
Mr Aitchison's partner Kerry, mother to his children Ella, 17, and Jack, 10, told the court she was on the phone to him at the time of his death and assumed his battery had run out of charge.
"I feel angry he has lost his life in such a way.
"He was just coming home to me and the kids. Their hero has gone."
In a victim impact statement Ella, who was doing her GCSEs at the time, told the court Platt "must have known your actions could have killed someone".
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"There was a death of all things since last year, what was and what could have been. Memories never made and plans never fulfilled," the teenager said.
"No, you didn't mean to kill my dad and all that died alongside him, but you must have known your actions could have killed someone.
"We have lost a beacon of light in our family, and no matter how much I try to be like him I can't restore what should never have been left so soon."
Stephen McNally, defending, said "family-orientated" Platt, a father himself, was "genuinely remorseful".
He said: "Even though the defendant's mobile phone was in a cradle and in front of him, this case provides an object lesson in demonstrating that even for the most experienced of drivers, not giving the road your undivided attention and concentration can have the most devastating consequences." Advertisement
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Platt, a HGV driver for 15 years, was described as "hating himself" for the trauma he had caused.
Mr Aitchison's mother, Jeanette Aitchison, said: "Danny had a good relationship with every member of our family.
"He was a constant presence in their lives.
"He was the centre of our family, he was always there for his friends and colleagues, Danny would do anything for anyone.
"The loss of Danny has had a significant impact on me and my family.
"Quite simply, I feel devastated.
"The decision to drive while scrolling for a prolonged period of time on a mobile phone, let alone using a HGV, is utterly crazy."
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Andrew Aitchison said his eldest brother was "the life of any party even if he didn't know anyone else at the party".
Family members told the court of their anguish of not being able to hold his funeral for weeks until DNA tests identified him.
References
- ^ Skelmersdale (www.itv.com)
- ^ Lancashire (www.itv.com)
- ^ Merseyside (www.itv.com)