Kurtis Walkington pictured outside Hull Court (Image: Hull Live)
Kurtis Walkington, who was described as “showing off” while riding his motorcycle, desperately tried to escape police before crashing into a car.
He caused serious injuries to a mother travelling in the passenger seat of the car, he also injured his own pillion passenger as well as himself.
Hull Crown Court heard the “horrific” accident in which Mr Walkington had reached “reckless” speeds.
The 24-year-old of Lindengate Avenue, Hull, admitted two offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He also admitted having no insurance and the wrong class of licence, as well as having defective tread on the front tyre of his motorcycle, on October 23 2022.
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Hull Combined Court Centre heard of the ‘horrific’ accident (Image: CC/Bernard Sharp)
Hull Live reported that Rachel Scott, prosecuting, said police saw fireworks being set off from a “car meet” in the car park of B&Q in Ferry Lane at 8pm.
Travelling to the car park, they spoke to people on site but then spotted a motorcycle being ridden at speed by Walkington.
He had a friend as his pillion passenger and the 750cc bike was backfiring. Reports say it is believed the motorcycle had been adapted to increase its possible speed.
Police activated their blue lights but Walkington rode-off at speed into Ferry Lane before overtaking other vehicles.
Riding through red traffic lights, he sped onto Leads Road at 80mph in what is a 30mph area, accelerating straight through Sutton Road Junction.
Police travelling at 70mph could not catch him as he continued to overtake vehicles. They eventually hit 83mph but Walkington was still pulling away from them.
He approached a mini roundabout in Wawne Road at speed and did not slow or give way to a car indicating right on to Honiton Road and he crashed straight into the passenger side of the car.
It was carrying a couple and three young children aged 11, nine, and four, on their way to McDonalds for ice creams.
Walkington and his pillion passenger were thrown over the car’s roof and a woman in the passenger seat was left unconscious. One of the children, distressed, said: “Mummy, wake up,” and the woman was later taken to hospital but was discharged.
Suffering neck pain, Ms Scott said the woman’s condition “got progressively worse” over the following weeks and months.
The woman began suffering from severe headaches, vomiting, visual problems and unsteadiness and developed a stutter. She started to struggle to formulate full words and was diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder.
In June 2023, she was unable to express herself verbally, suffered multiple seizures of up to 40 minutes, and was paralysed from the waist down.
Walkington is said to have shown complete remorse for his actions (Image: Hull Live)
A month later she was told her condition could not be cured but could be controlled, although she was still having up to 20 seizures a day.
The woman said in a statement: “My life has been changed completely since the collision. I used to go out with my children and go to the gym. Now, I can’t even be left on my own. I feel a burden and totally useless.”
The male driver suffered head concussion and spine problems as well as head and back pain, while the pillion passenger suffered fractures to his pelvis and the vertebrae of his spine.
Ms Scott said: “He was in hospital for 12 days.”
For a few weeks, the pillion passenger used crutches and could not walk for around a month, going to Castle Hill Hospital for physiotherapy after six weeks.
“I know that I have been very lucky not to have any lasting effects,” he said. “I have no idea why Kurtis didn’t stop.”
Walkington was seriously injured, breaking two wrists and his femur which needed a metal rod from his hip to his knee, also suffering bleeding on the brain and a fractured skull.
The insurance for his motorcycle had been cancelled more than a month before the crash after he had failed to provide documents.
He had no previous convictions at the time, said Michael Forrest, mitigating, and had a clean driving licence.
Mr Forest added: “Immaturity underpins this offending.”
“He can’t offer any explanation as to why he chose to behave like this and drive in the manner that was displayed. He is abjectly horrified at the consequences of his actions. It was a stupid, stupid decision to speed off when he saw the police lights.”
Walkington has said he is “so sorry” for what happened. The court heard he had shown genuine remorse for his “horrific” decision to speed off from the police.
His driving licence has been revoked. References showed that he was usually dependable, loyal and trustworthy.
Judge John Thackray KC said that Walkington made the decision to “show off” at the car meet on a powerful motorcycle before making off from the police.
He said: You had a pillion passenger and you should not even have been on the road. You were not insured and you did not have the correct licence. You drove at grossly excessive speed in a residential area.
“This was an appalling episode of bad driving and the collision which took place was an accident waiting to happen. Only the collision brought you to a halt. The consequences for your victims have been profound and life-changing.”
Walkington was jailed for two years and four months and was banned from driving for three years and two months. He must pass an extended retest before he can drive legally again.
