Banned driver jailed after crash that killed his best friend
A banned driver who was ‘goaded’ into a high-speed chase which ended in the death of his best friend was starting a 22-month jail sentence today.
Mitchell Bowden grew up with Kieran Ford and had gone to the latter’s home in Harden Road, Bloxwich, for a ‘soiree’ with pals after stopping to buy drink at a local supermarket, a judge heard.
The friends left in two cars with Mr Ford, aged 19, at the wheel of a VW Golf and the 23-year-old defendant in control of a Vauxhall Astra just 17 days after being disqualified from driving, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
It is unclear where they were going but Bowden took the lead until his friend suddenly undercut him and accelerated away in the rain before braking sharply, revealed Mr Edward Soulsby, prosecuting.
The two passengers in the Astra later told police they felt he was being goaded into driving dangerously fast – and took the bait.
Double the speed limit
CCTV showed the VW travelling at 70mph in a 30 limit with the Astra following at 73mph, continued Mr Soulsby.
Another camera captured the Golf travelling at 69mph while the other car was doing 58mph in Ingram Road, Bloxwich.
Just 25 metres later Mr Ford lost control and careered head on into a tree.
He was certified dead at the scene shortly after midnight on October 20 last year, having suffered cardiac laceration and trauma.
A post mortem blood test showed he was one milligram above the 80 limit.
His passenger – and younger brother – Mitchell Ford, 17, was badly injured.
'Appallingly dangerous'
Police saw Bowden in his Astra on their way to interview him on November 11. Bowden came to a standstill but as the officers got out to talk to him he sped off so dangerously that police gave up their pursuit.
He handed himself in four days later and gave police the key to his car.
Mr Christopher O’Gorman, defending, said Bowden and the deceased “could not have been much closer unless they were blood relatives”.
Father-of-two Bowden said: “There is no point in feeling sorry for myself. In jail I can contact my kids by phone but he can’t.”
The defendant, from Chestnut Road, Walsall, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving while disqualified.
He was jailed by Judge Simon Ward who told him: “Your friend Kieran wanted to show off to you. You could have let him get on with it but decided to join in by following him at high speeds.
"I am not sentencing you for causing his death in a criminal sense but the driving was appallingly dangerous and had tragic consequences.”
