Dylan Green fled scene after hitting 86-year-old Bart O’Hare who was walking to chip shop in Burnley
A drug dealer who killed a great-grandfather whilst pulling a wheelie on an e-bike has been jailed for eight years and three months after a judge condemned his “reckless” driving.
Dylan Green, 20, was travelling 41 per cent faster than all other vehicles when he struck 86-year-old Bart O’Hare on Accrington Road in Burnley, Lancashire, on 22 March last year. The pensioner, who had looked both ways before crossing, was on his way to collect fish and chips for his tea.
Preston Crown Court heard Green had his girlfriend as a pillion passenger on the illegal e-bike when he performed a wheelie lasting 37 metres, which “entirely compromised” his view of the road ahead. Mr O’Hare was thrown into the air by the impact and died in hospital nine days later from head and chest injuries, including a fractured skull.
The court was told Green and his girlfriend, neither wearing helmets, immediately fled the scene on the bike, which has never been recovered. CCTV footage showed Green riding the e-bike on the pavement moments after the collision.
In a powerful victim impact statement, Mr O’Hare’s daughter Marika Mausolf told Green: “Not once did you show any thought or concern for him after taking your girlfriend out on an illegal bike and pulling wheelies on the road with no consideration for my dad.
“Your selfish attitude was to try and diminish your actions by leaving my dad to suffer so you could get rid of the bike. You’ve broken my family in so many ways that I cannot begin to explain.”
Ms Mausolf described her father as “the glue to our family” and “a man of the community”, adding: “You have taken the man in our lives who would guide us whenever we needed. This is not just our loss, people looked up to my dad.”
The court heard Green, who was on bail for drugs offences at the time, returned to the scene approximately 45 minutes later with two other males. One of them told police Green was responsible but falsely claimed Mr O’Hare had “ran out in front of him.
Philip Astbury, prosecuting, said tyre marks showed Green’s bike had returned to two wheels shortly before the crash, but the extended wheelie had left him unable to avoid the collision. The e-bike, which Green later claimed could reach speeds of 50mph, was travelling significantly faster than the 30mph speed limit on the residential road.
“Dylan Green and his girlfriend fled the scene on his e-bike, which has never been recovered,” Mr Astbury told the court.
Recorder of Preston Judge Robert Altham condemned Green’s catalogue of failures, stating: “You should have been wearing a helmet. You should have been displaying L plates. You should have passed a basic test. You should have been insured. You should not have had a pillion passenger.”
The judge added: “You pulled a wheelie that you maintained for 37 metres. That meant you had a restricted view of what lay ahead and you had far less control of the bike. You drove your e-bike into him with such force that he was thrown into the air. You left him motionless, lying face down, badly hurt with his glasses lying in the road.”
Judge Altham dismissed claims of remorse, telling Green: “Whilst you are undoubtedly sorry to be caught I do not detect any real remorse.
The court heard Green was already involved in dealing Class A drugs when the fatal collision occurred. In August 2023, he had messaged a drugs gang leader to inform him that a 13-year-old girl had suffered a fit after taking MDMA he had supplied. He admitted being a “runner” for the gang operating in Burnley.
Kristian Cavanagh, defending, said Green had demonstrated remorse “in his own way” and that night terrors and panic attacks he suffered were a reflection of his feelings about the incident.
Green, of Helston Close, Burnley, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by driving while uninsured, and being concerned in the supply of MDMA between July and October 2023.
He was sentenced to eight years and three months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution for the driving offences, with a concurrent 12-month sentence for the drugs offence. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 years and four months.
Speaking outside court, Sergeant Paul McCurrie of Lancashire Police said: “That Friday, Bart left his house to go and pick up fish and chips for his tea, a journey that so many people will regularly make. Bart didn’t make it to the chip shop, or home that night, instead he was killed by Dylan Green’s reckless driving.”
He warned: “Driving in this manner is not and never will be acceptable. When the worst-case scenario happens, as it did on that day last year, it leaves behind a wake of devastation to more people than you would imagine.”
Mr O’Hare, a beloved father, grandfather to two, and great-grandfather to five, had been just three metres into the roadway when he was struck. His family revealed he had never spent a night in hospital until the day of the collision.
Ms Mausolf told the court: “My dad never spent a night in hospital until that day when his granddaughter took the call. We went to the hospital, and we have to live with our final memories remembering him by the injuries you caused.”
The tragic case highlights growing concerns about the dangerous use of e-bikes on Britain’s roads, particularly by young riders performing stunts without proper safety equipment or insurance.
Green’s sentencing serves as a stark warning about the devastating consequences of reckless driving and the importance of road safety, particularly in residential areas where families go about their daily lives.
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