A speeding teenager who killed a much-loved dad in a head crash has narrowly avoided jail.
Jack Appleton collided head-on with Andrew Robson on Spring Road in Murton, County Durham after carrying out a “highly dangerous” manoeuvre at speed on September 22, 2024.
The then 17-year-old was driving 15 to 20mph over the 50mph speed limit when he "entirely misjudged” the speed and distance between his Ford Fiesta and Andrew’s motorbike.
Andrew, who was in the area with his friends for a car meet, was thrown from his bike while Appleton’s car skidded and crashed into parked vehicles, causing onlookers to “scramble”.
The 29-year-old tragically died at the scene, leaving his four-year-old daughter Ayla without a father and his mother Julie McDonald “traumatised”.
Appleton, of Coach Lane in Hazlerigg, Newcastle, was today (October 15) sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for three years, at Teesside Crown Court.
‘My granddaughter has been robbed of the memories of her daddy’
Andrew’s mother Julie, 54, from Wideopen, fought through tears as she read out a heartbreaking personal impact statement to the court.
She said that, when she found out her son had been in a crash, she “felt like my whole body had gone into shock”.
“I am tortured every single day by the loss of my son,” she said.
Andrew Robson died in a crash in September 2024 (Image: DURHAM POLICE)
“If I am lucky enough to get to sleep, I am crippled with nightmares. I have memory blocks due to the trauma. The anxiety of not knowing what will happen at court has destroyed me.”
Julie admitted that she now suffers from PTSD and had a mental breakdown.
“My gorgeous granddaughter has been robbed of the memories of her daddy,” she said. “That little girl has cried for her daddy for two years.
“The pain of losing a child is something no one should have to experience.”
Andrew’s former partner Vicky Hall also stood up in court, saying his death has had a “devastating and massive impact” on her and her children and caused “unimaginable pain”.
“I never expected our future would be taken away so suddenly,” she said.
Speaking directly to Appleton she said: “You have devastated so many lives. You took Andrew away from us and destroyed the future we had together. I hope you understand the pain you have caused.
“Your reckless actions have taken him away from us.”
‘I can’t promise I can make it better’
The court heard how Appleton, who has autism, learning difficulties, and now PTSD, was traveling from the A19 when he decided to overtake a Vauxhall Corsa in front.
David Povall, prosecuting, said the road was “perfectly straight and visible” and that experts had concluded he was travelling at about 70mph during the overtake.
“As he was overtaking, as he was level with the Corsa [in front], he struck Andrew riding his motorbike head-on,” he said.
“The consequence was that Appleton’s car skidded and spun into cars parked at the roadside. Those standing and watching had to scramble.
Andrew Robson, who died following a crash on Spring Road in Murton in 2024 (Image: CONTRIBUTOR)
“Robson was thrown and suffered catastrophic injuries”.
Christopher Morrison, mitigating, said Appleton, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in August and has no previous convictions, had “clear, palpable remorse”.
He said it is perfectly clear “how sorry he is for their loss and how heavily he bears the responsibility for it”.
“This is his one and only offence,” he said. “He struggled at school through the undiagnosis of his condition. He is well thought of in his employment.”
He added that Appleton still gets flashbacks: “These are going to continue in respect of what happens next. He knows what he has done and he will have to live with it.”
Mr Morrison urged the judge to consider a suspended sentence.
Judge Amanda Rippon said Appleton “got it wrong” when he made a “dangerous” overtake.
“You made a very serious mistake,” she said. “A man lost his life. His family and his friends have suffered a terrible loss. They miss him badly and they are terribly terribly sad."
She said Appleton "entirely misjudged the distance and speed between him and Mr Robson" when carrying out the overtake.
"It is clear from dashcam footage that two members of the public narrowly avoided injuries," she added.
Judge Rippon said that the incident had clearly had a "profound impact" on Andrew's family, and described their personal impact statements as "heartbreaking".
However, she noted that Appleton had "shown to people that have spoken to you that you are really really sorry" and had spared the family of a trial.
She also took into consideration his personal struggles, learning difficulties, and autism, saying a prison sentence "would be harder" for the defendant.
"I have not found this an easy decision," she said. "This was not an extended period of driving aggravated by multiple factors as is so often seen in these courts.
"The defendant was a young, inexperienced driver who made a very bad decision to drive and overtake when it was clearly dangerous to do so."
She decided to sentence Appleton, now 19, to three years suspended for three years.
He was also banned from driving for six years and told to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and must also retake a special driving test once the ban is lifted.
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“There is no sentence that will represent the loss or make up for the loss. It is simply not possible,” she told the court.
“I can’t fix it. Mr Appleton can’t fix it.
"The family has my deepest condolences."