Sentence of Sunderland teen, who killed woman with an ebike, to be reviewed
The Crown Prosecution Service is appealing under the unduly lenient scheme against the sentence received by Billy Stokoe, who was 18 when he collided with grandmother Gloria Stephenson and left her dying in agony at the scene.
The daughter of an 86-year-old who was knocked down and killed on a zebra crossing by a teenager on an illegal e-bike said a judge who sentenced him to less than seven years had failed to send the right message.
The Crown Prosecution Service is appealing under the unduly lenient scheme against the sentence received by Billy Stokoe, who was 18 when he collided with great-grandmother Gloria Stephenson and left her dying in agony at the scene.
He was under the influence of cannabis and was riding the machine with a phone in his hand and defective brakes when he smashed into the fit-and-healthy pensioner, who was walking her daughter’s dog and completing her 10,000 steps a day, in Sunderland last May.
Last month, Stokoe, 19, was jailed for six years and nine months by a judge at Newcastle Crown Court, having admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
After the sentencing, Ms Stephenson’s family said they were devastated by the length of the jail term.
One of her four daughters, Julie Francis, appeared on TV on Monday and said Stokoe will serve half of that term in prison, with the rest on licence, the terms of which will be to “keep out of trouble”.
She said: “But that’s how we live our lives, isn’t it?
“That’s how normal people behave. We obey the law, (so) I don’t think that’s part of his punishment at all.”
Ms Francis said people around the country were aware of the scourge of youths riding e-bikes illegally, and that there were laws to prohibit that.
She added: “The law does say it’s illegal, the law is there, it’s just it’s not being enforced.
“And then the judge had an opportunity to send a really strong message, and in our view he failed to do that.”
Paying tribute to her mother, she said: “She was an extraordinary woman, she didn’t look her age, she didn’t act her age.
“She was a very clever woman, she loved to read, to garden.
“She was very fit, healthy, really strong, an independent role model.
“You know, she was a really positive member of society.
“And now she’s just gone. Everyone is devastated.”
Passing sentence last month, Judge Robert Adams said he had seen evidence of the teenager’s regret and sorrow.
Helen Towers, defending, said Stokoe was remorseful and had said: “I will forever be sorry and I don’t expect to ever be forgiven.
“I wish more than anything that I could change it all.”
A psychological assessment found Stokoe had an IQ of 66 and the court heard that he has ADHD.
A CPS spokesperson confirmed that an appeal has begun under the unduly lenient scheme.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office said: “We have received multiple requests for Billy Stokoe’s sentence to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
“The law officers have 28 days from sentencing to carefully consider the case and make a decision.”