Family’s fury at ‘disgusting’ jail sentence for killer driver
POLICE-CHASE CRASH VICTIM’S MUM DESCRIBES SON’S
DEATH AS ‘SENSELESS’ AS MOTORIST GETS SIX YEARS
A YOUNG man killed his pal in a horror crash while trying to escape from police.
Dylan Forster had no driving licence or insurance when he tried to ‘outrun’ an unmarked police vehicle in a Ford Fusion.
Forster, who was carrying cocaine and cannabis, attempted to lose police as he sped through the streets of Burnage, but lost control of the car and smashed into a building.
His passenger, 17-year-old Deon Simpson, suffered multiple injuries and died in hospital. He was just weeks away from celebrating his 18th birthday when he was killed.
At Manchester Crown Court, a judge jailed Forster, 20, for six years.
Members of Deon’s family sat in the public gallery in court as Judge Nicholas Dean QC passed sentence. There were emotional scenes as several relatives burst into tears, with one branding the length of sentence ‘disgusting’ and an ‘absolute joke.’
Prosecutor Gavin Howie said that officers in an unmarked police car first came across the Ford Fusion being driven at speed along Kingsway in Burnage at 9.20pm on November 3, 2019.
Forster was behind the wheel while Deon was the front seat passenger.
The court heard that the Ford had a spare tyre on it and was therefore ‘unsuitable’ for being driven at more than 50mph, but reached speeds of up to 60mph.
The court heard Forster reached speeds of up to 65mph as he attempted to navigate speed bumps along Burnage Lane. But as he approached the junction with Lane End Road, he lost control of the car and smashed into a boulder. The impact caused the car to flip onto its side and collide with the gable end of a building.
Paramedics attended the scene and found Deon unresponsive. Both he and Forster were rushed to hospital, where Deon was pronounced dead shortly after 10.30pm. The court heard he had suffered multiple injuries. His cause of
death was given as ‘head injuries.’
In an impact statement read out in court, Deon’s mother described her son’s death as ‘senseless,’ adding: “I don’t know why Dylan just did not stop. I don’t know why he thought he could outrun the police.”
The court heard that following the crash, wraps of cocaine and cannabis were found inside the Ford along with hundreds of pounds in cash.
“That suggests a reason why the defendant drove away from officers in that concerted effort to avoid them,” added Mr Howie.
Forster pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at a hearing in August. Mitigating, Richard Dawson, said Forster had suffered ‘serious traumatic brain injuries’ in the crash and had no recollection of what happened.”
Forster, of Southbank Road, Manchester, sat with his head bowed throughout the hearing. Addressing Deon’s family, Judge Nicholas Dean QC thanked them for their attendance, adding: “I understand why you think the sentence I have imposed is inadequate.”
Forster was also banned from driving for six years and will have to take an extended retest before getting behind the wheel again.