A petty drug dealer who ran over and killed a grandfather while pulling wheelies on an e-bike was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison.
Dylan Green, 20, was filmed weaving across Accrington Road in Burnley, Lancashire, on March 22, with his girlfriend riding pillion, before doing a wheelie and ploughing into pensioner Bart O’Hare, 86, who was trying to cross the road.
Mr O’Hare, who was on his way to buy fish and chips for his tea, was sent flying by the impact and sustained a fractured skull, a broken collarbone and several broken ribs as well as severe bruising and lacerations.
He survived eight days in hospital with his family praying by his bedside before succumbing to his injuries.
Green made no attempt to help his victim and instead ran off with the girl and got rid of the Surron e-bike. It has never been recovered.
His daughter Marika Mausolf, in a victim impact statement, described her father as ‘the glue which held the family together.’
Addressing Green directly, she said: ‘My dad never spent a night in hospital until that day when his granddaughter took the call.’
She continued: ‘We went to the hospital, and we have to live with our final memories remembering him by the injuries you caused.’
Dylan Green (pictured), 20, was filmed weaving across Accrington Road in Burnley, Lancashire, on March 22, with his girlfriend riding pillion
He then did a wheelie and ploughed into pensioner Bart O’Hare (pictured), 86, who was trying to cross the road
Mr O’Hare, who was on his way to buy fish and chips for his tea, was sent flying by the impact. Pictured: Green doing a wheelie
She added: ‘Your selfish attitude was to try and diminish your actions by leaving my dad to suffer so you could get rid of the bike.
‘If you had rung an ambulance instead, today may hold a different outcome for us all.
‘You have taken the glue to our family, the man in our lives who would guide us whenever we needed.
‘He was a man of the community. This is not just our loss, people looked up to my dad.
‘My father had so much life left to live but we have now been left with just memories because of the injuries you caused.
‘You have no idea what it was like for us to watch him die. Not once have you shown any remorse.
‘You have broken my family in so many ways I cannot even begin to explain.’
Preston Crown Court heard Green and his girlfriend had no helmets, he was uninsured and he had not passed a test to allow him to ride the e-bike – which could reach speeds of 50mph.
Green (pictured during his arrest) and his girlfriend had no helmets, he was uninsured and he had not passed a test to allow him to ride the e-bike – which could reach speeds of 50mph
He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving while uninsured and to a charge of supplying MDMA, an offence he was on bail for when the accident happened. Pictured: Green during his arrest
Phil Astbury, prosecuting, said Mr O’Hare could be seen on video footage looking up and down the road (pictured, file photo) before deciding to cross
He pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving while uninsured and to a charge of supplying MDMA, an offence he was on bail for when the accident happened.
Phil Astbury, prosecuting, said Mr O’Hare could be seen on video footage looking up and down the road before deciding to cross.
‘He was a tall gentleman who should have been clearly visible but the defendant pulling a wheelie would have restricted his view.
‘It is clear from tyre marks that the e-bike was back on the road when it hit Mr O’Hare who was 2.9 metres into the carriageway.
‘The bike has never been recovered.’
Judge Robert Altham, who also disqualified Green from driving for 12 years and four months, told him: ‘No sentence I could impose could ever put right what you did on that day.
‘When you pulled that wheelie it meant you had a restricted view of what lay ahead and you ploughed into him with such force he was sent flying into the air.
‘Your only concern was to look after yourself.’
Judge Robert Altham, who also disqualified Green (pictured during his arrest) from driving for 12 years and four months, told him: ‘No sentence I could impose could ever put right what you did on that day’
Green made no attempt to help his victim and instead ran off with the girl and got rid of the Surron e-bike (pictured, file photo of a similar bike). It has never been recovered
Sergeant Paul McCurrie, of Lancashire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘Bart was clearly a much-loved dad and grandad and was well respected in his community.
‘Dylan Green rode his e-bike without a care for those around him. He was driving recklessly and showing off, performing a wheelie just before he collided with Bart.
‘He didn’t stay at the scene, call for help, or identify himself to police.
‘Instead, he fled, continuing to drive dangerously as he did so, in attempt to cover up his actions.
‘It was only when he told his family what he had done that he returned to the scene.
‘Driving in the way Green did is not and never will be acceptable.
‘When the worst-case scenario happens, as did on that day last year, it leaves behind a wake of devastation to more people than you would imagine.
‘My thoughts remain with Bart’s loved ones.
‘No sentence will bring him back, but I hope they can feel some sense of justice today, that the man responsible for his death has been brought to justice.’
