Praise for gymnast who lost leg to path motorcycle rider

A BOY of nine who lost a leg because of a motorbike rider has been praised by police for his bravery.

Gymnast and dancer Max Clark, inset, had been out with family and friends on playing fields in Hull when he was hit by the motorcycle on a footpath, Humberside Police said.

Jerome Cawkwell,

24, of Cambridge Grove, Hull, was jailed for three years at the city’s Crown Court yesterday.

Chief Inspector Paul Butler said: “I want to praise Max and his family for their bravery and positivity.

“The injuries Max suffered, on what should have been a happy, carefree, family day out to meet friends, will affect him for the rest of his life.

“However, every officer who has spent time with him has remarked on what a happy, positive young man he is.

“He’s an inspiration and I know he has touched the hearts of all those who have worked on this case.” Cawkwell was going at full speed when he hit Max, who was at Rosmead playing fields, off Southcoates Lane.

He had gone there to take pictures for a dance-class assignment.

Cawkwell, who was stripped to the waist and not wearing a helmet, had never held a licence or passed a test.

The rider did not stop after the crash but was arrested later that day, on May 25. Cawkwell later admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, using a vehicle without insurance and using a vehicle not in efficient working order.

Chief Insp Butler added: “I hope the sentence will not only go some way to helping Max and his family to continue to rebuild their lives but also serve as warning to those who ride motorbikes in a dangerous or anti-social way of the potential consequences of their actions.”