Leeds Crown Court: Judge slams cowardly man that spun 'web of lies' after causing death in 'truly catastrophic' hit and run

Kyle Charlesworth, aged 28, from Furlong Road, Goldthorpe, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was driving without a licence and was uninsured when he was behind the wheel of his Seat Ibiza that collided with Paul Collins on October 4, 2021. Mr Collins went through the windscreen of the car before Charlesworth crashed into stone bollards, which then fell onto Mr Collins.

Charlesworth was driving with a female passenger from Leeds that he had met that day when he sped off from the police, travelling at more than three times the speed limit and driving dangerously, taking no account of other road users.

Appearing before Leeds Crown Court for sentencing yesterday (Thursday), Charlesworth, who admitted the charges at an earlier hearing, was jailed for six years and nine months. He was also banned from driving for five years which will start when he is released from prison.

Sentencing Charlesworth, His Honour Judge Simon Batiste said: "It’s clear that once you had decided you wanted to get away (from police) you drove at a grotesquely excessive speed.”

Judge Batiste rejected the suggestion that Charlesworth was remorseful, saying: “You manufactured a web of lies to try and obfuscate responsibility. It was only about a year after the incident when it was obvious that the evidence was so overwhelming that you discovered you had remorse.

"People who are remorseful don’t laugh during police interviews, don’t run away from the scene and don’t spend a year lying.”

The court heard that a police car began following Charlesworth at 7.50pm before he sped off, at which point the passenger screamed at him to slow down, pulled her seatbelt “as hard as she could” and covered her face as she “thought an impact was likely to happen”. Police lost track of Charlesworth, who drove at around 80mph down East Park Road – an “highly built up area” with a speed limit of 20mph – before hitting Paul “Joseph” Collins, aged 68, and crashing into stone bollards which then fell on Mr Collins.

Mr Collins was found injured and was treated by officers and ambulance staff, but was sadly pronounced dead at the scene of the collision.

The passenger said that Charlesworth encouraged her to run away before going back to the vehicle to get his phone. He then called his mum and said that he had been assaulted before calling police and saying that his car had been stolen in Chesterfield.

After being arrested he continued with this account and “showed no remorse". He was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and causing death while uninsured and unlicensed and pleaded guilty at magistrates’ court.

The court heard from members of Mr Collins’ family who outlined that, prior to his death, they were in the process of reuniting with him after being estranged for a number of years. However, Charlesworth had taken this opportunity away from them. The family were thankful that Charlesworth had admitted his guilt.