Adam Jones: Driver cleared over teenager's death as court case collapses
An uninsured driver accused of driving for more than 80 yards with the body of a schoolboy cyclist hanging through his windscreen then running off, leaving him for dead, has walked free from court.
Tyrone Sadler, who also had no licence, laughed and put his thumb up as he left Wolverhampton Crown Court having being cleared of causing the death of young Adam Jones.
The 25-year-old, who never admitted being behind the wheel of the blue VW Bora, complained on leaving the court that life for himself and his family had been made 'hell' since the death of 15-year-old Adam.
He made no mention of feeling any remorse over the fate of the victim.
The case collapsed after Judge Michael Challinor ruled 'with a heavy heart' that, despite a painstaking investigation, there was insufficient evidence for the defendant to be properly convicted by a jury.
A police review will decide whether Sadler should face any other charges relating to the road accident.
The decision is a crushing blow to the family's 22-month fight for justice.
Adam is thought to have been doing a 'wheelie' on his bike when struck at the junction of Beacon View Road and Walsall Road in West Bromwich, the court heard.
Sadler, from The Oval, Smethwick – alleged to have swapped a green Corsa for the Bora just days earlier – was allegedly travelling behind a silver Ford Focus whose driver managed to miss the teenager by swerving to the left at the last minute.
MORE: How fight for justice unravelled and left dead teen's parents shattered
This would have obstructed the view of the defendant until the last moment, leaving him with no more than 0.89 seconds to respond before the collision, concluded a police report.
There was no CCTV footage of the impact but film showed the car being driven without fault below the 40mph limit 500 metres before the crash.
The defence did not suggest the Bora was driven by anybody else.
His DNA was on a coat found in the abandoned car.
His credit card – used the previous day – was discovered in the glove box.
He reported it stolen the next day.
Mobile phone evidence showed a mobile used by him was near Bristnall Hall Road, Oldbury less than 40 minutes before the crash – which happened at 7.34pm on March 26 2015 – and in the vicinity of the accident moments later.
Half an hour afterwards there was a 'flurry' of calls from another phone attributed to him which indicated he was ' anxious to communicate with others around him,' the court heard.
He was released on police bail until being charged in July this year with causing the death of Adam while uninsured and without a licence.
He appeared in court for the first time the following month and denied both allegations.
Judge Challinor said there was a 'wealth of information' that the defendant was the driver and could be 'criticised heavily' for his behaviour after the collision but could not be held legally responsible for the crash.
He declared: "In simple terms the police expert says this was not the fault of the defendant."
"For the case to go to trial there had to be evidence of an 'element of fault' in the driving of the accused in connection with the tragedy.
"It did not have to amount to carelessness but had to be more than simply being in the car that struck the victim." Judge Challinor concluded: "The evidence is not sufficient for him to be properly convicted by a jury."
The parents of Adam Jones declined to comment after the case.
Police discouraged Sadler, his brother and another man to leave the court building until they had been ushered away.
West Midlands Police later said: "We are aware of the court's decision and the case will now be reviewed by officers in the Collision Investigation Unit as a matter of course.
"The family request that their privacy be respected at this time."
