Motorcyclist Flees Scene After Serious Accident
A motorcyclist who seriously injured a five-year-old boy expressed feeling "terrible" after the incident, believing he had "killed him," but left the scene due to fear for his own safety, a court was told.
Arlo Buckley sustained serious injuries in the accident, which occurred on Central Drive in Shotton, Flintshire, on 11 September 2024.
Kaylem Longhurst, 18, from Nantwich in Cheshire, has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in connection with the crash.
He is currently on trial at Mold Crown Court alongside three others accused by the prosecution of assisting him in attempting to "evade and thwart justice." These individuals include his mother, Terry Follows, 42, his brother, Dane Longhurst, 19, and Shane Hunt, 39, all residents of Clwyd Street in Shotton.
All four defendants deny the charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.
Longhurst's sister, Cara Haran, has admitted involvement in the conspiracy and informed police that Longhurst was responsible for hitting Arlo.
Details of the Incident and Court Proceedings
Previously, prosecutor Ember Wong told Mold Crown Court that Longhurst was "weaving" through traffic without wearing a helmet, holding a licence, or having a working front brake before fleeing the scene.
Arlo, who was unresponsive at the scene, received assistance from bystanders and was airlifted to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.
Wong described a series of phone calls between Longhurst and his family members as his coat was allegedly burned and his motorcycle concealed. Subsequently, Hunt and Haran drove Longhurst to York, where he later searched online for hit-and-run sentencing information before being arrested.
Longhurst Explains Leaving the Scene
Longhurst told the court that shortly after the collision, a group of four or five people gathered, including two individuals he recognized.
On Monday, Longhurst stated he had been wearing a balaclava, which he removed immediately after the accident because he "didn't want to hide" his identity.
"I was scared… of the people around me,"
he said, describing the group as "very heated, shouting and swearing" at him.
His defence barrister, Joseph Lees, asked why he left the scene, to which Longhurst responded that he was frightened due to the aggressive behaviour of those present.
Following the crash, the court heard Longhurst went to his mother's house, located approximately two minutes away.
His sister Haran and brother Dane Longhurst were present but in the back garden, so Longhurst did not interact with them.
Instead, he went to the bathroom to remove his torn, bloodstained clothing.
Longhurst then called his mother, who was working on deliveries at a takeaway restaurant, but did not mention the accident, stating,
"I was scared if she would judge me."
When questioned about when he became aware that his clothes had been burned, Longhurst said it was after his arrest. He did not know who had done it at the time and did not ask anyone to do so.
Similarly, Longhurst said he was "not sure" how his motorcycle, which he had pushed back to his mother's house, ended up in an alleyway across the road.
He explained that later that evening, he decided to travel to York, accompanied by his sister's partner, Shane Hunt, because his grandmother and girlfriend lived there.
Longhurst stated his intention was to surrender to the police in Yorkshire.
Cross-Examination and Denials
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Wong, Longhurst denied fleeing because he believed he had killed the boy or to avoid arrest.
He claimed that someone at the scene threatened to "kick his head in" if he did not leave, but Wong noted that no witnesses mentioned any threats and suggested he was fabricating the claim, which Longhurst rejected.
Longhurst acknowledged it would have been natural to inform his mother about the crash during the phone call shortly after the incident but maintained he did not mention it.
Later, while accompanying his mother on food deliveries, he denied discussing the crash or informing her that he had been injured and was in pain.
When questioned about a series of calls between the four defendants, Longhurst denied they were "hatching a plan" to avoid the consequences of the incident and insisted his sister Haran was lying about arrangements to help him leave Shotton.
