Teenager Sentenced for Fatal E-Bike Crash
A teenager who left a beloved and "vivacious" grandmother dying in the road after colliding with her on an illegal electric motorbike has been sentenced to six years and nine months in detention.
Billy Stokoe had consumed cannabis and was using his mobile phone when he struck Gloria Stephenson as she was crossing a road in Sunderland, then fled the scene, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
The 86-year-old's daughters described her as having a "zest for life," and said Stokoe's actions compounded their grief and "overwhelming righteous anger" by attending football matches and planning holidays just days after the incident.
Stokoe, who was 18 at the time of the crash in May 2025, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
Gloria Stephenson, a mother of four daughters and grandmother to 13 grandchildren, was walking a family dog and using a zebra crossing on Burdon Road around 13:00 BST on 16 May, prosecutor Michael Bunch explained.
While traffic on one side stopped to allow her to cross, Stokoe drove an off-road electric motorbike, which was not road legal and was in poor condition, directly into her without attempting to stop or swerve, the court heard.
Dashcam footage presented in court showed the collision, with Stokoe, wearing a balaclava, being knocked off his bike before getting back on and riding away after briefly looking at Gloria lying on the crossing.
Passersby attempted to assist, but paramedics confirmed she died at the scene.
Stokoe, from Mayo Drive in Sunderland, then went to a friend's house where he abandoned the bike and changed clothes before returning home and informing his mother, who took him to the police station, the court was told.
He was found to be three times over the legal driving limit for cannabis, and CCTV footage showed him using a mobile phone for at least half a mile prior to the crash.
The motorbike was in poor condition, with the only brake lever located on the left handlebar, which he was holding while using the phone, Bunch added.
"What person are you?"
The victim's eldest daughter addressed the court, describing her mother as resilient, courageous, intelligent, confident, and ambitious, with a "zest for life." She noted that Gloria had been widowed three times and had a successful NHS career.
She described her mother as "vital and vivacious" until the day of the crash, known affectionately as "glamorous Gloria," and someone with "strong moral principles."
"When you killed our mam, you took a life that was good, that had purpose, that gave more than it took,"
she said to Stokoe.
She further stated that Stokoe drove off and "left our beautiful, clever courageous mam to die at the side of the road like she was a piece of rubbish in the gutter."
"Our righteous anger is overwhelming, compounded by your total lack of remorse,"
she added.
She revealed that eight days after the fatal crash, Stokoe attended a football match at Wembley to watch Sunderland play and soon applied for bail amendments to travel abroad on holiday. She noted he frequently posted about his activities on social media.
"At a time when we were paralysed by grief, you were just carrying on with your life,"
she said, concluding with,
"What type of person are you?"
"No moral compass"
Another daughter read a statement to the court, saying her mother had made the "sensible" choice to use the zebra crossing but "did not stand a chance" due to Stokoe's decisions.
She described her mother as "fit, active and fiercely independent," stating it was "not her time" to die.
"You have no moral compass,"
she told Stokoe, adding,
"I will hate you until my last breath."
Judge Robert Adams acknowledged that Stokoe had not intended to harm anyone that day but had caused the death of a "much-loved lady" and would have to live with the consequences for the rest of his life.
The judge noted that Stokoe's family reported he had shown remorse and was devastated by the crash.
In addition to the custodial sentence, Stokoe was banned from driving for eight years, four months, and two weeks, and must pass an extended driving test before regaining his license.
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