Speeding BMW rider caused 'scene of carnage' after ploughing into sisters at Wakefield bus-stop
An inexperienced biker seriously injured two sisters in a horror crash when he ploughed into a glass bus stop while riding at speed.
The women and their families had been enjoying a Good Friday day out at the Wakefield lake beauty spot at Newmillerdam.
Damien Hilton lost control of his powerful BMW S1000 RR near to The Dam pub shortly before 5pm on April 15, 2022, careering into the bystanders in what was described as a “scene of carnage”.
He appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week and admitted causing serious injury through dangerous driving.
The case took three years to come to court because the 36-year-old had persistently denied the offence and was due to stand trial last month.
He changed his plea on the day of the trial, but on a basis - that he was not performing a “wheelie” at the time.
While two witnesses claimed he had been, a trial of issue determined that while his front wheel had been off the floor, the judge could not be certain if it was deliberate.
The court heard that Hilton was travelling at 47mph along the 30mph Barnsley Road that day.
Travelling close to a car in front, he was forced to break hard and lost control, smashing into the two women and shattering the bus stop, with part of the bike disintegrating.
The women were left with serious injuries, including multiple fractures . One of the sisters still requires ongoing treatment for an eye injury.
In a victim impact statement, their mother, who witnessed the smash, said: “It should have been a happy family time. It turned out to be our worst nightmare.
“The moment I saw them lying on the footpath, my happy bubble burst. I will never forget the revving of the bike.
“If it was not for the bus stop they would not have survived.
“I have nightmares about that day, I carry that burden for my daughters.”
The court heard that Hilton, of Thruxton Close, Barnsley, suffered serious leg injuries also and is no longer able to ride a motorcycle as a result.
He told police during his subsequent interview that he had only passed his test months before the crash.
Mitigating, Andrew Pettison said Hilton had worked his entire adult life but admitted he was inexperienced on his motorcycle at the time.
He said: “He has to live with the consequences of the two women for the rest of his life.”
Judge Simon Phillips KC told Hilton: “It was obviously a highly-dangerous manoeuvre.
“You had only passed your test some six months earlier.
“It was a devastating incident. It was a scene of carnage and it was all brought about by your dangerous driving.”
He told Hilton that had he been found to have purposely been pulling the wheelie, he would have been sent directly to prison.
Instead he gave him a 24-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months, with 250 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation days and a three-month electronic curfew.
He also banned him from driving for three years and said he must undergo an extended retest to get his licence back.