Leeds man killed after being run over by car chased by police was 'intelligent, funny and kind', inquest hears

Jessica Kitson made the comments during the opening day of a jury inquest into the death of her husband Andrew Kitson, who died after being knocked down on Leeds Road, Outwood, on June 9, 2020.

Andrew, aged 44, had been walking to his local shop when he was hit by a car that was attempting to escape from the police. He died at the scene.

Driver Adam Badkin, who had been disqualified from driving at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for six years at Leeds Crown Court in September 2020.

Fighting back tears, she explained how she saw the air ambulance go past the window of her home and instantly felt something was wrong.

She said: “My stomach turned. I had this sense of foreboding. I started to ring him and obviously I did not hear back.

"I just knew that he would have answered his phone. I knew then that something was wrong.

"I drove around looking to see if I could see him. I went back to my parents and then my dad and I went down to the scene."

When they arrived at the scene, which was only two to three minutes away from the couple’s home in Canal Lane, she was told that her husband had died.

At the time, the couple had been married for 10 years, having known each other for 13 after meeting when they worked at Costco together.

Jessica and Andrew, who was born in Leeds and was working as a train driver in York, were in the process of renovating their house.

They were looking to start a family together, the inquest heard.

They were on the waiting list for IVF treatment at the time of Andrew's death.

Mrs Kitson said: "It has completely decimated my life. My future has been stolen.”

Representing the family of Andrew Kitson, barrister Alex Williams said the family’s submission was that the police chase was disproportionate to the “minor driving offences” for which Babkin was being pulled over.

Giving evidence, Mrs Kitson told senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin she did not feel the punishments handed out for driving offences merit the risks involved in a police pursuit.

Mrs Kitson told the court: “We are wondering why it happened. Why the driver was being chased like that, how it all came about and why Andrew is not here right now.

"I just don't know there is enough reason to warrant that chase when the justice system does not back it up with a good punishment.

"There is a high risk it may kill an innocent person and the justice system does not give punishment that is a deterrent to a criminal.”

West Yorkshire Police officer Dale Brown and his partner were the officers involved in the pursuit.

PC Brown, who had served as a police officer for 16 years at the time of the incident and worked as a traffic officer for 11 years, told the court that he began to follow Adam Babkin when he spotted him using his phone while driving.

The court heard that traffic officers are trained to spot the ‘fatal four’ offences which include drink and drug driving, speeding, using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.

This was why the officers opted to pursue Babkin, PC Brown told the hearing.

Watchguard footage from the police vehicle was shown to the court as PC Brown explained the timeline.

PC Brown said: “We pursued him while I tried to find a suitable location to pull him over. I think initially he did not see us at all.

“When the lights turned red he accelerated away from us.

“His manner of driving had changed.

“His driving was nothing less than dangerous.”

The footage then showed the police car in a high-speed pursuit of Babkin as he drove through Wakefield in the direction of Leeds, often weaving in and out of traffic and on the wrong side of the road.

Eventually he turned onto Leeds Road where the camera did not capture the crash due to the turn in the road. At this stage, Babkin had lost control and crashed into a wall, hitting Andrew Kitson. Seconds later, footage shows the car flipped onto its roof and officer Brown beginning his pursuit of Babkin.

PC Brown told the court that neither he nor his partner initially saw that a pedestrian had been hit and chased Andrew Babkin for about 500 yards.

It was when they were walking him back to the police car that a member of the public informed them that someone had been injured, the court was told.

Senior coroner Kevin McLoughlin asked PC Brown if he had experienced ‘red mist’ - a term used to describe a complex emotional situation affecting the state of mind of drivers - and if he had considered aborting the pursuit.

PC Brown responded: “There was no red mist but I was angry because it could have been dealt with so easily.”

The coroner asked him: “The family, in blunt terms, have asked if it was worth the risk?”

PC Brown answered that he believed the pursuit to be proportionate due to Babkin committing three out of four of the ‘fatal four offences’ due to his speed, use of a phone and lack of seatbelt, and he added that had he believes that if he had aborted the pursuit Babkin would have “continued driving in that manner”.

He added that he has aborted hundreds of pursuits in the past if he felt they were unsafe but considered the road wide enough in this instance.

He was also asked if the police helicopter or a drone could have been used instead and said these methods are used when a pursuit is already underway, and in the case of the police helicopter, it is only used in pursuits of over four minutes as this is the time it takes for the helicopters to receive and respond to requests for assistance.

PC Brown told the court: “It has changed me. This and other instances over the years - it does play on my mind a lot.

“I did not join traffic for this to happen. I joined traffic to spot this kind of thing from happening.

“I would not change anything. I don’t think I could”.

The inquest is to determine the events which led to the death of Andrew Kitson.

Present at the inquest, which is scheduled to last for four days, were members of the Kitson family, as well as Jessica’s mother, alongside legal representatives, police officers, and the jury.

A representative from the independent police complaints commission (IPCC) was also present.

The inquest continues.