A man who was at the wheel of a car that killed a 17-year-old on a motorbike was today cleared of murder.
Brandon Glover, 24, of Pasture Close in Clock Face, hit Harley Lea with his Toyota Corolla on Park Road, near the junction of Blackbrook Road and Boardmans Lane in St Helens in the early hours of October 4 2022. The 17-year-old suffered fatal head injuries after being thrown from the bike and two other bike passengers, Jordan Carter and Louis Coleman, were also injured.
Glover was also found not guilty of manslaughter by the unanimous decision by a jury of 12 after only two hours and 22 minutes of deliberation at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday. The jury also cleared Glover of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to Jordan Carter and Louis Coleman, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm without intent and two counts of attempted GBH in relation to Alexander Owen and Leeland Lea.
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A court previously heard that Glover had received a call shortly before midnight telling him his brother Benjamin’s bike had been stolen, so went out to “look for it”. The men drove around for a short time in an attempt to find the bike, before hearing the sound of motorbikes and following it onto Park Road.
Glover followed two motorbikes, the first being a Honda driven by Alexander Owen with passenger Leyland Lee, and the second a Benelli motorbike driven by Mr Lea and his two passengers. Following a chase, Glover, who was driving up to 97 mph at the time, smashed into the back of the Honda, before colliding with the Benelli seconds later.
Mr Lea suffered severe head injuries, including a large fracture extending completely across the base of his skull. Mr Carter suffered a double leg fracture and cuts to his head, and Mr Coleman suffered fractures to his pelvis, spine, legs and right elbow.
Brandon Glover called 999 and remained at the scene. He told police he was driving at around 40mph, and in a later interview said he had struck an unknown object in the road, which caused him to crash into the two motorbikes.
He also said the motorcyclists had "taunted" him by waving a set of bolt cutters at him as he chased them, and the court heard that a set of bolt cutters was found at the scene - however, neither of the motorbikes involved in the incident was Brandon Glover's brother's stolen vehicle. It was determined by experts during the trial that the Honda was travelling between 34 and 39 mph and the Benelli was driving between 41 and 47 mph.
Glover pressed his brakes 31 metres before the impact with the first motorbike, the Benelli, which is around three bus lengths, and the brake lights remained illuminated until the point of first impact. The court was told the two motorbikes were also travelling above the speed limit, and also decelerated as they approached the traffic lights just before the crash.
Glover is still subject to outstanding charges of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving which will be decided after legal arguments take place in Carlisle on April 17. Glover has been remanded into custody until that date.
As the jury came back with their verdict, some of Mr Lea's family, who have attended the trial this week, ran out of the courtroom.
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