Mother Admits Lying to Police Following Serious Hit-and-Run Incident
The mother of a motorcyclist involved in a collision that seriously injured a five-year-old boy has admitted to lying to police about having seen her son after the incident, a court has been told.
Arlo Buckley was airlifted to hospital after the collision on Central Drive in Shotton, Flintshire, on 11 September 2024.
Kaylem Longhurst, 18, from Nantwich, Cheshire, has already pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in connection with the crash.
However, Longhurst and three others, including his mother Terry Follows, 42, deny charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
Details of the Mother's Statement to Police
Mold Crown Court heard that Follows told police she had not seen her son since the day before the accident, despite having been with him hours earlier.
She explained her decision to lie by stating:
"I didn't necessarily think it was as serious as it turned out to be."
Follows said that when a friend called to inform her that Kaylem had hit someone, she assumed he had been involved in a fist fight, which she described as "quite regular."
During questioning by her defence barrister and cross-examination by prosecution barrister Ember Wong, Follows confirmed she saw her son shortly after the collision when he arrived at her house riding a pushbike.
When asked if he appeared anxious or if she noticed anything unusual, she replied:
"He was hot and sweaty."
She added that when she asked him why, he responded:
"I've just rode on my bike in a big coat and it's warm."
Follows described going to work at a local takeaway that afternoon. During a phone call to her other son, Dane, 19, she learned that police were at her house, although she said she did not know the reason.
She claimed that she only became aware of the seriousness of the situation during her police interview after being arrested.
Allegations of a Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice
The prosecution alleges that Follows, her sons, her daughter Cara Haran—who has admitted participating in the conspiracy—and Shane Hunt, 39, conspired to have Longhurst driven to York approximately an hour after the incident to conceal his involvement.
Follows stated she believed Haran was taking Longhurst for food with Hunt and denied knowledge of any plan to take him to York.
When asked by Wong about a phone conversation with Longhurst shortly after the collision, Follows said:
"He just said 'I'm bored'."
Wong questioned:
"Are you saying your 16-year-old son thinks he's just killed someone and he just tells you he's bored, he puts on an act?"
Follows claimed she had no knowledge of Longhurst's involvement in the crash, despite her children stating in police interviews that they had informed her.
Evidence from Dane Longhurst
Kaylem Longhurst's brother, Dane Longhurst, gave evidence with the assistance of an intermediary to clarify some questions.
When asked if he had helped burn Kaylem's clothes on the day of the accident, Dane replied "no." He also denied helping to move his brother's motorbike from their mother's back garden.
Under cross-examination, Dane was asked if he understood that police might want to examine the motorbike after the accident. He responded that he did not.
When asked if he knew someone had moved the bike, he said he did.
Prosecutor Ember Wong asked:
"Was that the right thing or the wrong thing to do?"
Dane answered:
"The wrong thing."
He recalled telling police during his interview that a friend had informed him a child had been knocked over. He said he only knew his brother had "done something" but did not know what.
Dane stated that his sister Cara was the only one to discuss burning clothes as he was leaving the house, and he said:
"I didn't want to get involved."
The jury heard that Dane was present when Arlo's mother visited Terry Follows' house after the injury and was "screaming and shouting." When asked if he knew why she was upset, Dane said he did not.
Testimony from Shane Hunt
Shane Hunt told the court he could not recall details of the numerous calls made to and from his mobile phone following the accident, stating it was "a long time ago."
He said he became aware of a disturbance involving a large crowd in the street.
Hunt's then-partner, Cara Haran, approached his van and asked if he could take Kaylem and her children to her father's house in York, explaining that someone was causing trouble at the house.
Hunt denied taking Kaylem away from the police.
Trial Status
All four defendants deny the charges, and the trial is ongoing.
