A 19-year-old man, Billy Stokoe, has been sentenced to six years and nine months in prison for killing an 86-year-old woman while riding a defective e-bike under the influence of cannabis. The incident occurred on May 16 of last year when Stokoe struck Gloria Stephenson at a zebra crossing. Stephenson, who was walking her daughter's small dog, died from her injuries.

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The legal system has handed down a sentence to Billy Stokoe, a nineteen-year-old man whose reckless actions led to the tragic death of eighty-six-year-old Gloria Stephenson. The incident occurred on May sixteenth of last year when Stokoe was operating a defective e-bike while under the influence of cannabis.. As Mrs. Stephenson was crossing a zebra crossing, a designated safe zone for pedestrians, she was struck with significant force.

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At the time, the pensioner was engaged in her daily routine of walking her daughter's small dog and attempting to reach her goal of ten thousand steps.. The collision left her lying motionless on the asphalt, while her dog leaped around her in visible distress. In a shocking display of indifference, Stokoe did not immediately stop to provide aid. Instead, he briefly looked back at the victim before speeding away to a friend's house, where he concealed the e-bike and changed his clothing in an attempt to distance himself from the crime.

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The timeline of events took a turn approximately one hour and fifteen minutes after the crash when Stokoe's mother drove him to the police station to hand himself in. Security footage and recordings from the station show the teenager breaking down in tears as he was informed of his legal rights. It was during this emotional collapse that he asked the attending officer if the woman he had hit was dead.

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While the defense presented this as a sign of genuine remorse, the family of the victim viewed it throough a different lens. The court was informed that just ten days after his arrest, Stokoe had the audacity to ask the police if his bail conditions could be modified. He wanted to attend the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium to watch his favorite football team, Sunderland. Additionally, he sought permission for a foreign holiday that had been paid for in advance and was actively searching for tickets to a Halloween party on social media platforms.

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The emotional toll on the survivors was laid bare during the court proceedings. Lisa Tench, the daughter of the deceased, provided a harrowing account of finding her mother bruised and battered in the street. She described the horrific sight of her mother's leg being severely injured and the desperate struggle for breath that followed. tench expressed that the image of her mother in those final moments would haunt her for the rest of her life, especially whenever she passed the crossing where the accident occurred. She recalled begging her mother not to leave her, noting that while Mrs. Stephenson tried to fight through the trauma, her body had suffered too much damage to survive the injuries inflicted by the teenager.

Upon delivering the verdict, Judge Robert Adams sentenced Stokoe to six years and nine months in prison. However, under current guidelines, he will only spend half of that time in actual custody, totaling three years and four months. The judge acknowledged that the maximum sentence could have been eighteen years but decided on a reduction because the defendant had handed himself in and expressed remorse through a letter to the court. the sentence was further lowered because Stokoe pleaded guilty to the charges. This decision left the family of Gloria Stephenson incandescent with rage.

Julie Francis, the eldest daughter of the retired hospital manager, described the ruling as absolutely disgusting and appalling. She argued that three and a half years in prison was a pittance compared to the life that was stolen from their mother. In his closing remarks, Judge Adams clarified that Stokoe was not being sentenced for murder or manslaughter, as there was no premeditated intent to cause harm . He stated that while the defendant's actions were criminal and resulted in a devastating loss, he did not set out to kill anyone. The judge remarked that Stokoe would have to carry the burden of his actions for the rest of his life. Despite this, the family remains unconvinced of his sincerity, pointing to his requests for football matches and parties as evidence of a callous nature.

The case serves as a grim reminder of the lethal potential of unregulated e-bikes and the devastating impact that substance abuse and reckless driving can have on vulnerable road users.