‘Shameful’: Range Rover driver drank 11 pints of cider before killing teenage biker and maiming friend in horrifying Shropshire crash
A Shropshire Range Rover driver who drank 11 pints of cider and a ‘Baby Guinness’ before killing a teenage biker and maiming his friend in a horrifying crash has been jailed.
Danny Francis, 29, of St Mary’s Close, Knockin, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
Motorcyclist Benjamin Worrall, who was 17, was killed in the crash on the A458 at Rowton, near Shrewsbury, at around midnight on September 30 into October 1 of 2023.
His friend and fellow motorcyclist Nathan Fountain suffered catastrophic injuries and was left screaming in pain as Francis, who had been driving the Range Rover which struck them, fled the scene.
Shrewsbury Crown Court was told today (Friday) how Francis had spent the afternoon of September 30 on a pub crawl with friends - at times carrying eight people in his Range Rover.
The court was shown footage of Francis and friends drinking pints as they visited The Old Hand and Diamond, The Royal Hill, The New Inn, The Red Lion, and the Salopian in Shrewsbury.
Footage showed Francis and friends piling out of the Red Lion and cramming into his vehicle, with one seen getting into the boot.
Caroline Harris, prosecuting, told the court that police were alerted to a crash on the A458 at Rowton at around 12.02am on October 1.
Ben, from Pontesbury, and Nathan had been riding back on their motorbikes from a meal in Newtown with friends when they were hit.
The court was told a member of the public had called the police and told them she believed one of the young men had died.
An off-duty police officer helped to save Nathan’s life as he lay injured and screaming in agony.
Ms Harris said that a friend who had been riding with them had noticed the pair were no longer behind him, and turned round to find them.
The court heard he was met with a catastrophic scene and was advised not to go and see Ben, who had had suffered “terrible facial injuries” in the crash.
Ms Harris said Francis’s Range Rover had crossed over into the oncoming lane, hitting Ben and Nathan with tragic consequences.
Describing the impact on Nathan she said: “It was as though the car turned in front of him and his leg hit the car and he was thrown a distance across the road and into the verge.”
The court was told bystanders did what they could to help but sadly Ben was pronounced dead at the scene.
Nathan has faced a harrowing experience with horrendous injuries to his left arm and leg - which resulted in his left leg being amputated above the knee in October of this year.
The court was told he has endured 17 operations, was in a coma for 11 days, and was in intensive care after contracting sepsis.
Francis’s car was left at the scene where he abandoned it after ploughing through a hedge.
'What the hell has he done?'
Ms Harris said he was found at his girlfriend’s home later that morning.
The court was told she had answered the door and Francis was asleep upstairs in bed.
She told officers he had asked her to pick him up, and said “what the hell has he done?”.
A breath reading was carried out at the police station following his arrest at 6.45am.
It showed a reading of 27 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the legal limit is 35mg per 100ml.
A back calculation by experts concluded his reading would have been between 53 and 111 at the time of the crash.
The court head that Francis had started drinking at 3.45pm and police had pieced his drinking together via till receipts and CCTV.
No defects were found on his vehicle and in an interview with police he told how he had hit a puddle of water which went over his windscreen and caused him to lose control of the car.
He also denied being drunk at the time of the crash.
Ben’s father, Mark Worrall, read moving impact statements from his Ben’s mother Vicky.
He read the statements while holding a teddy bear given to him by his son after he had his own motorcycle accident in 2012.
She told how Ben had been saving to buy an engagement ring to propose to his girlfriend and was known by friends as ‘the dad’ of his group of bikers - always having spare parts on hand to help others out.
She described her son as “fearlessly loyal” and a man who was “loved by everyone” with a “heart of gold”.
She said: “His 18th birthday which should have been a day of excitement has instead been spent lighting candles in his memory.”
She added: “We will never get to see Ben grow into the man we know he could be.”
She continued: “There is not a single day that passes when we question whether we can continue living with the pain.
“I should not feel rage when I think of Ben but I cannot get past the way he was taken from us and Mr Francis’s actions that night.
“It is said grief is love with nowhere to go. If that’s the case then our grief will never go, we simply endure it.”
The court also heard emotional and distressing statements from Nathan Fountain detailing the harrowing impact on the rest of his life, telling how his life has been ruined by Francis’s actions.
He had previously taken part in iron man competitions, would regularly go to the gym and even taught spin classes.
The court heard how he has been unable to work, and has had to rely on benefits - even cutting his own hair to save money.
'A man with moral fibre would have stopped'
Rob Edwards, mitigating on Francis’s behalf, said he offered no excuse or justification for his actions.
He added that he has no previous convictions and was remorseful for what he had done.
He said that Francis had wanted to write to the families of his victims, but was advised by solicitors and his insurance company not to.
As Mr Edwards offered an apology on his behalf Francis could be seen wiping away tears in the dock.
Judge Trevor Meegan said Francis’s actions by running away and not helping his injured victims had been “shameful”.
He said: “You did not stop to help, instead you and your passengers fled the scene, leaving the Range Rover behind.
“I do not doubt you were concerned about being caught over the drink drive limit - that was on any assessment shameful conduct.
“A man with courage and a man with moral fibre would have stopped.”
Judge Meegan said he had received a letter from Francis’s mother which asked him to look at the man behind the charge.
He said: “She said you’re a young man who made a mistake, not a bad person.”
Francis was sentenced to a total of seven years in prison, of which he will serve two thirds.
He was also banned from driving for 11 years and eight months and must take an extended re-test to regain his licence.