Two guilty over '˜Fast and Furious' car race on Hemsworth Bypass

Two men have been found guilty of encouraging dangerous driving after four young people died when the quad bike they were on was hit by a car travelling at 140mph as vehicles raced along a bypass.
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The racing scenes that led to the deaths of Ryan Beal, 20, Brandon Brown, 20, Alexandra Binns, 18, and Terrie Kirby, 16, were likened to the film The Fast And The Furious during a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

A jury was told how the four young people who died were out celebrating Miss Kirby’s birthday when the quad bike they were riding on was devastated by a Nissan 350Z travelling in the same direction on the A6201 Hemsworth bypass.

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The driver of the Nissan, Daniel Raynor, and his front-seat passenger, Matthew Todd, have admitted charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

Five people had been on trial accused of encouraging the dangerous driving. Yesterday, the jury cleared three of the men - George Tomlinson, 25, of Hall Croft, Netherton, Wakefield; Lee Fisher, 29, of Pond Street, Barnsley; and Bradley Lockwood, 22, of Rotherham Road, Barnsley. But the jury found the other two men guilty. They were Nathan Jackson, 21, of Higham Common, Barnsley; and Stephen Hebden, 23, of Dodworth Road, Barnsley.

The jury deliberated for just over eight hours before delivering its verdict.

Hebden was found guilty unanimously and Jackson on an 11-to-one majority.

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Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said the pair will be sentenced in the next few weeks, along with Raynor and Todd.

No date has yet been fixed.

The judge gave Hebden and Jackson bail, but told them: “All sentencing options remain open”.

Earlier in the trial, Kama Melly QC, prosecuting, said that analysis of the Nissan’s satnav showed it was doing 140mph at the time of the impact with the quad bike and had reached 144mph on previous runs along the single carriageway road.

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