Man riding stolen motorbike killed pensioner crossing road with walking frame

A disqualified driver killed a pensioner who was crossing the road using his walking frame before fleeing the scene.

Steven Starrs was riding a stolen motorcycle at excessive speed when he struck 81-year-old William Brown, who was making his way to his local bowling club in Blackburn, in West Lothian.

Mr Brown, a retired school janitor, sustained fatal injuries in the collision on July 12 last year and died in hospital days later after receiving end-of-life care.

Starrs, 38, was found by police three days after the crash at a friend’s home in Whitburn, hiding under a pile of clothes in a bedroom.

He admitted causing the death of Mr Brown by dangerous driving at Bathgate Road, by driving at excessive speed in a residential area, failing to keep proper observations of the road ahead and failing to take evasive action, when he appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh.

He also pled guilty to driving while disqualified on July 12 last year in Blackburn and two days later on roads in Whitburn while behind the wheel of a car.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice KC said that at the time of his death, father-of-two Mr Brown was living on his own following the death of his long-term partner.

He said: “Mr Brown loved bowling but had to give up playing the sport due to his health, however he carried on as a social member and loved to meet his friends at the bowling club. He is thought to have been on his way to the club when the collision occurred.”

“His final job prior to retiring was as a school janitor. He was loved and respected by pupils and teachers alike.

“Mr Brown was well known in the community and is greatly missed by everyone,” said the prosecutor.

The court heard that Starrs was riding a stolen, orange moto-cross-style motorbike when he hit Mr Brown, who was knocked to the ground.

Collision scene investigators calculated that he was travelling at about 50mph when he hit the victim, who was crossing the street in a 30mph limit area.

Mr Prentice said: “The roadway was in a good state of repair. At the time of the collision it was daylight, with good visibility with no adverse weather conditions.”

“As the accused drove down Bathgate Road, William Brown was crossing with the use of his walking frame. As a result of the collision, the accused fell from the motorcycle, and Mr Brown was knocked to the ground,” he said.

Starrs ran off from the scene and got into the back of a black Range Rover before he was driven away.

“Emergency services attended and noted Mr Brown had sustained a significant head trauma,” the prosecutor said.

“He was conveyed to hospital where they diagnosed him as having sustained significant injuries, including head trauma, bleeding on the brain, significant blood loss requiring multiple blood transfusions, internal pelvic and abdominal injuries as well as a broken leg and multiple rib fractures.”

Shortly before midnight on July 14, police officers drove into a petrol station at Whitburn when they spotted Starrs, wearing a face mask.

Starrs drove off in a Ford EcoSport and failed to stop as police followed him after activating blue lights.

The pursuit was abandoned, but police traced the vehicle Starrs was driving to a car park area in Whitburn and went to the address of a known associate of his, where they found him hiding in a bedroom.

The judge, Lady Ross, told father-of-two Starrs, who followed proceedings via a TV link to jail: “You should be under no illusion. I regard this offence as extremely serious.”

She said: “This is a deeply, deeply concerning case which, it is clear, has caused grief and harm to Mr Brown’s family.”

The judge adjourned sentence on Starrs until next month to obtain a background report on him. He was remanded in custody.