Killer driver fled scene of 106mph A69 Throckley crash and left friend for dead

Ross Neville, 35, has been jailed for 11 years and 11 months for causing the death of his friend Matthew Newton in a crash on the A69 near Throckley

15:10, 25 Mar 2026Updated 15:34, 25 Mar 2026

Ross Neville has been jailed for killing his friend Matthew Newton in a crash on the A69 in Throckley(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

A killer driver who fled the scene of a crash and left his friend dead has been jailed. Ross Neville, 35, was doing 106mph in a Ford Ranger Raptor pickup seconds before crashing into a barrier on the A69 near Throckley[1] on November 28, 2024.

His passenger, Matthew Newton, 28, from Carlisle[2], died instantly after suffering severe head and facial injuries. In a victim personal statement read out by Matthew's mum Anne Douglas, she described her son as having the "brightest smile" which "lit up every room."

On November 28, 2024, Neville drove from his home in Scotland and picked up Matthew Newton on the way.

The pair spent the day in Newcastle, and went to Stack at 7.30pm, before dining at an Indian restaurant on Stanhope Street shortly after 10.30pm.

Over the course of the evening, the court heard that Neville drank two pints of lager, five shots of Kahlua, three double gins and a shot of tequila. Then, Neville attempted to drive back to his home in Carlisle from Newcastle city centre[3].

He had deactivated the seatbelt sensors on the Ford Ranger Raptor, and neither men were wearing them as they drove westbound along the A69. Two witnesses reported the Raptor overtaking them at high speed, and on a shallow bend near Throckley, Neville lost control of the car.

Data recovered from police found that the Raptor was travelling at 106 mph seconds before the pickup started drifting towards the grass verge. crashing into the steel barrier.

Police investigators found "no obvious reason" that the collision occurred, but noted that the brake pedal was not used at any point, and Neville had steered sharply right in the last second before the collision.

They concluded he may have been distracted or had a "microsleep" but the court heard: "The reason the vehicle had left the road can't be known with any certainty other than to the defendant."

Matthew Newton was killed immediately, but Neville escaped with minor injuries. When he was asked by a lorry driver who stopped to help if anyone else was in the car, he told her that Mr Newton was "fine". He then left the scene, and was seen texting on his phone as he ran towards an industrial estate in Throckley; however, he did not call 999.

His movements remain unknown until the following day, when Neville attended Forth Banks Police Station.

When he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, he responded: "is he dead like?"

The 35-year-old attended Forth Banks in new clothes which had recently had the tags cut off, and the court heard the clothes he was wearing during the crash had been burned. He was estimated to have been more than one-and-a-half times over the legal limit for drink-driving at the time of the crash.

Investigations found that Neville was driving without insurance, though he claimed that he had been given a certificate of insurance which he did not know was invalid. He also used number plates on the car which were not registered with the DVLA.

Initially, he denied causing Mr Newton's death by dangerous driving, but changed his plea to guilty on January 22, 2026.

In her victim personal statement, Matthew's mum Anne Douglas said: "I hope you never forget what Matthew looked like dead in your car.

I hope you have nightmares every night like I do.

"I hope it haunts you. I couldn't even give my beautiful boy a kiss on his cheek because of the injuries you caused him.

"My son's life was priceless and you have stolen that from me. I will never, ever forget you for your actions that night and the way you have conducted yourself since."

Businessman Matthew Newton, 28, died in a crash on the A69 at Throckley(Image: Northumbria Police / Handouta)

The court was told that at the time of the collision, Neville, who has 21 previous convictions for 45 offences, had 11 points on his driving licence from three speeding offences in July and September 2024.

Previous driving convictions were also taken into account as aggravating factors, as was the fact that he was one-and-a-half times over the legal drink-driving limit, that the seatbelt warning sound had been deactivated, and that he had fled the scene.

In mitigation, the court heard that Neville had a valeting business which would likely fold when he was jailed, a 10-year-old son from a previous relationship, and two children with his current partner, one of whom has autism spectrum disorder and attends regular hospital appointments.

Sentencing guidelines also took into consideration that Matthew Newton was Neville's friend. Before sentencing Neville, Judge Edward Bindloss told him: "You took no steps to help him.

"You didn't ring 999, you called him your friend, but you did nothing for him. You were looking after yourself, you wanted to get away from the scene."

Ross Neville, 35, has been jailed for 11 years and 11 months(Image: Northumbria Police)

Neville, of Canonbie, Dumfries and Galloway, pleaded guilty to one count of causing death by dangerous driving, and a second count of causing death by driving when uninsured.

He was jailed for 11 years and 11 months, and disqualified for seven years and 10 months, which will become active upon his release.

He will be released on licence after serving two thirds of his sentence, which is seven years and 10 months.

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References

1. ^ Throckley (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
2. ^ Matthew Newton, 28, from Carlisle (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
3. ^ Newcastle city centre (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
4. ^ Here's more information (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
5. ^ clicking here (www.google.com)