Driver who inhaled laughing gas before crash jailed

An unlicensed driver who inhaled laughing gas just moments before he killed a pedestrian in a hit-and-run crash has been jailed.

Cain Byrne, 20, ignored a red light and was driving at more than 50mph when he crashed into 81-year-old Graham Slinn as he was walking his bike across the A57 near Todwick, in South Yorkshire.

Mr Slinn was thrown at least 15ft (4.5m) in the air and died at the scene of the crash on 4 April.

Jailing Byrne, of Redvers Buller Road, Chesterfield, for 11 years and six months, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said he had shown "a complete lack of self control" and an "utter disregard for the law".

Byrne, who has never held a driving licence, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without insurance at Sheffield Crown Court in May.

At a previous hearing the court was shown CCTV footage of Byrne inhaling nitrous oxide, known as "laughing gas", from a balloon both before and after the crash while driving a Volkswagen Golf.

Graham Slinn was due to celebrate his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife this year

The court heard after hitting Mr Slinn, who was just weeks away from celebrating his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Jaqueline - Byrne sped off, with dashcam footage showing his tyres smoking as he appeared to be trying to control the vehicle.

Rebecca Stephens, defending, previously told the court he drove away thinking he had only hit a vehicle with his wing mirror, which Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said showed how "completely inebriated" he had been.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Laura Marshall told the judge that Byrne had 27 previous convictions, including for dangerous driving.

Judge Richardson described Byrne as someone with a "hardened determination to commit repeated dangerous crime".

"There is no sign of this stopping, it is getting worse," he added.

Byrne was told that on release from prison he would serve an additional five years on licence and would be disqualified from driving for 17 years and eight months.

CCTV footage captured Byrne inhaling from balloons filled with laughing gas while he drove

Mr Slinn's daughter, Nicola Timmis, told a previous hearing the loss of her father had left her feeling "hollow".

"How could anybody do that to my dad?," She said.

"My dad isn't somebody who deserved to be treated like that. To have someone drive through him like he's nothing. He's not nothing, he's my dad."

Mr Slinn's family: Nicola Timmis, Jacqueline Slinn amd Victor Slinn

Mr Slinn's widow, Jacqueline Slinn, told the court they had met in 1961 through their love of cycling.

She said her husband's death "has had a massive impact on my life".

She added: "Since we've been retired we've done most things together, so I'm finding it really really lonely at the moment."

She described Byrne's decision to not stop the car after hitting her husband as "horrendous".

"We were always together, for 60 years, nearly, and I have to face this all on my own", she added.

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