Biker who killed friend in police chase jailed

A banned biker who killed his passenger in a crash while trying to evade police has been jailed for 11 years.

David Stewart reached speeds of 100mph and drove on the wrong side of the road during a minute-and-a-half-long pursuit before crashing on a roundabout in Peterlee, Durham Crown Court heard.

His passenger Lee Stevenson, a 27-year-old father of two, was killed instantly.

Stewart, 34, who was banned from driving at the time having had a string of motoring convictions, initially blamed Mr Stevenson for the crash but later admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

Stewart and Mr Stevenson had been drinking and taking drugs including cocaine on the night of 25 March 2023, prosecutor John Crawford said.

They were both urged by Mr Stevenson's uncle not to get on Stewart's Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R due to their intoxication but, at about 02:00 BST, they went out on the bike, the court heard.

Stewart, of George Stephenson Boulevard in Stockton, Teesside, was wearing a helmet but Mr Stevenson was not, the court heard.

Due to a spate of motorbike thefts in the area, police started following the bike at about 02:30.

When officers activated their blue lights, Stewart, also a father of two, drove away at speed, reaching 100mph, going the wrong way around roundabouts and on the opposite side of the road in a bid to escape, Mr Crawford said.

After about 90 seconds he crashed on a roundabout in Passfield Way, smashing into a chevron sign, the court heard.

Mr Stevenson was declared dead at the scene and Stewart spent several weeks in hospital.

Stewart was over the drug driving limit for cocaine and also had alcohol in his system, the court heard.

Mr Stevenson's mother Naomi Stevenson told the court the crash had "ruined" the family's lives.

She said her son was a "larger than life character" and his death had "left a massive hole in our lives".

Mrs Stevenson said she did not like to leave her home any more, adding: "I don't want people to look at me as a mother who has lost her son."

She said her grandchildren would have to grow up without their dad but Stewart would still get to be with his family upon his release.

"I have no feelings for David Stewart," Mrs Stevenson told the court, adding: "He has to live with his actions and decisions."

She said: "Lee is my first thought, my last and all my thoughts in between."

The court heard Stewart had a long history of driving offences, including for drink and dangerous driving, the latter involving another police pursuit while he had passengers in his car.

He had also ignored multiple driving bans, one of which was in force when he killed Mr Stevenson.

Stewart initially claimed Mr Stevenson had been driving the bike but changed his plea a month before he was due to stand trial, the court heard.

In mitigation, the court heard Stewart was "really sorry", could not remember the crash and had been "lucky to survive".

Judge Joanne Kidd said the crash was the "culmination of nine years of dangerous and poor driving" where Stewart had "shown a total disregard for the safety of other road users".

She said he had no licence or insurance at the time of the crash and was "in no state to drive", adding the "terrible fatality" was "part of a consistent pattern" of Stewart's awful driving and willingness to take "extreme risks".

Stewart, who wept throughout the hearing, was also banned from driving for 20 and a half years.

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