Smiling as he left court for link to crash that robbed friend of his life
A YARM man who lost his teenage friend in an A19 horror smash has been photographed smiling and swearing as he walked from court after being sentenced for a crime linked to the fatal incident.
Magistrates told Paul Barnes to accept the help being offered so his own mother won’t receive the devastating phone call that he won’t be coming home.
It comes as he was sentenced for failing to provide a specimen of blood when suspected of being the driver of a Polaris which was involved in a devastating crash on the A19 in which 17-year-old Mark Sharp, from Norton, died.
The 31-year-old was also sentenced at Teesside Magistrates’ Court for drug-driving months after the fatal collision. Barnes had a passenger in the car when he was caught over the legal limit for a cocaine breakdown product in Yarm Road in February.
On July 28, last year, Barnes was one of the occupants of a green Polaris all-terrain vehicle on the A19 which was involved in a threevehicle
collision.
The crash spanned across both carriageways near Thimbleby on the outskirts of Northallerton.
Both carriageways of the A19 remained closed for around 12 hours after the smash.
Barnes was taken to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, by ambulance while Mark Sharp, who had suffered serious injuries in the crash, was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.
The hearing on July 6 heard how the 31-year-old was arrested in connection with the incident and was required to give a sample of blood.
Jo Hesse, prosecuting, said: “He couldn’t give any medical reason why he couldn’t give a sample other than he was scared of needles and was needle-phobic.
“He pleaded guilty to that offence when he appeared before court on June 8 of this year.”
An investigation into the fatal crash remains ongoing almost 12 months on.
Belinda Dobson, mitigating, said: “It’s a very sad situation Mr Barnes finds himself in.”
She said the defendant had suffered a concussion in the accident, which was one of the reasons he had refused to give a blood sample.
She added: “The suggestion he was trying to get away is nonsense. He wasn’t able to. A police officer noted he could barely stand up. He was showing all the signs of being concussed.”
Mark Sharp’s parents Mark and Michelle Sharp spoke to The Gazette about their “well-loved” and “funny” son after a balloon release was held in his memory in the week following the tragedy.
Mark, 50, said: “He was loved by nearly everyone that knew him. He was very funny. He was outgoing,
he was a little gentleman. He respected everyone that he met.
“He used to go on making his own money and standing on his own two feet. He tried to look after everyone else. His concerns were his family and friends.”
The 31-year-old also admitted drug-driving after he was stopped by police with someone in the passenger seat in Yarm Lane, Stockton, on February 22, of this year.
The driver, who was behind the wheel of a VW Golf, had no less that 140μg/L of Benzoylecgonine, a cocaine breakdown product, in his bloodstream when tested by police.
There were also traces of cocaine and diazepam, although these were not over the legal limit, prosecutor Ms Hesse outlined. The drug-driver also has previous convictions for similar offences and in 2015 was locked up for a string of crimes which culminated in a tractor joyride along Yarm High Street.
Barnes, of Sheepfoote Hill, Yarm, was sentenced to 12 weeks in custody suspended for 18 months for both offences.
He was also banned from driving for 36 months and must carry out 32 rehabilitation activity days as part of a community order.