Pontefract driver jailed after cyclist killed in hit-and-run

Gregg Marsh was jailed for causing death by dangerous driving

A man who killed a cyclist in a hit-and-run crash in West Yorkshire has been jailed for 13 years.

Shaun Parkin-Coates, 53, died after he was struck by a car on Doncaster Road in South Elmsall on 21 December 2019.

Driver Gregg Marsh, 24, left the scene and was found to have alcohol and drugs in his system when he was later arrested at his home near Pontefract.

Marsh, of Bracken Hill in Ackworth, was jailed for causing death by dangerous driving at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.

Mr Parkin-Coates was cycling home from work, wearing reflective clothing and had lights on his backpack and bike at the time of the crash, West Yorkshire Police said.

After Marsh struck Mr Parkin-Coates, he continued driving his badly damaged Ford Fiesta for about 5 miles (8 km) and was later arrested at his home.

'Selfish and reckless'

Officers said Marsh had been seen driving "erratically" and that when he was arrested they found he had alcohol, cocaine and cannabis in his system.

Det Sgt Paul Lightowler said: "Shaun was making his way home from work, with just a few days to go before Christmas, when one man's selfish and reckless actions took away his future.

"Marsh could have accepted responsibility for what he did on the night but instead chose to drive away. He again had the opportunity to accept responsibility for his actions at court but has not done so.

"Instead, he has maintained that he did not see Shaun and that there were no lights on his bike, a claim at odds with CCTV and eyewitness accounts."

He said he hoped the sentence would "bring some closure" for Mr Parkin-Coates' family and friends who had endured "an absolutely unimaginable few years".

Marsh was also banned from driving for 11 years and six months.