By staff reporter

Published at 11:11, Thursday, 09 August 2012

A YOUNG man who was mad about cars and speed drove at 120mph as he approached a hump-back bridge, an inquest has heard.

Title
Author
Copyright

Description

His car became airborne and flew through the air for 21 metres before hitting the ground, crashing through gardens and slamming into a bungalow.

He died at the scene.

The death of John Robson, 22, at Moresby Parks came just three days after his father, John Robson senior, had died in hospital from pancreatic cancer, aged 62.

John junior, of Snebro Road, Whitehaven, failed to regain control of his beloved red Seat Ibiza in the crash. His vehicle ‘fish-tailed’ down the road, travelling sideways for another 22 metres before mounting a kerb, demolishing a brick gate post, striking a tree, bouncing over a parked car and slamming into a bungalow to come to rest in a vertical position against the house wall, with its front on fire.

The momentum of high speed had carried his car 106 metres from the bridge, a police accident inspector said. All impacts had been taken on the driver’s side, leaving John’s passenger and next-door neighbour, 24-year-old Mark Appleton, with only minor injuries. John, however, a daily cannabis smoker, suffered multiple fractures and soft tissue injuries and a post mortem concluded that his death was due to head injuries sustained in the crash.

Given the reckless nature of his driving, Coroner David Roberts said he must consider a verdict of suicide but there had to be evidence, without reasonable doubt, that John intended to take his own life and he was not satisfied that this was the case. He recorded a verdict of death by accident.

“Maybe he was driving stupidly – because of his father’s death, due to the effects of cannabis, through not sleeping, or, to scare Mr Appleton because of a falling out. Clearly, he was the author of his own misfortune,’’ said Mr Roberts.

At around 2.15am John had asked Mr Appleton to ‘go for a spin’ with him up to his friend’s house at Moresby Parks. Though Mr Appleton had been asking John to slow down he continued to accelerate from 70mph on leaving the roundabout (at the golf course). He seemed “focused and in a trance’’.

Mr Appleton noticed the speedometer on the 2-litre Cupra had reached 120mph as they approached the hump-back bridge.

“The car took off, lifted off the road. When it landed he lost control but he was fighting to get control of the steering wheel. The driver’s side was going sideways towards the kerb, we crashed through lots of gates and wooden fences and I don’t remember after that until I came round in the car. I was struggling to breathe and unable to move. Then I climbed out and realised the car was upside down. I hit John twice to see if he was all right; I didn’t get a response. I couldn’t work out if he was breathing.’’

John had not given any impression he wished to harm or kill himself, said Mr Appleton.

The loud bangs of the 2.30am collision awakened village residents who emerged from their homes to give assistance. Some gave CPR until the police and ambulance arrived.

John’s girlfriend of six years, carer Chloe Pickering, 21, had shared a pizza with him earlier that night but had gone home around 11pm as she had an early start for work the next day. They had that day been house hunting for somewhere to rent together. She spoke to him on the phone around midnight when John was at his friend Shane Thompson’s house at Moresby Parks and said he would be going home soon.

She said he had been close to his dad and was very upset by his death but was coping well with it, better than she thought he would. “He seemed to change and become a different person saying he was going to make his dad proud and turn his life around.

“He was a good driver. Even if he was speeding, he knew how to do it. His car was his pride and joy, he kept it in top condition.’’

Leon Thompson, 25, of Moresby Parks Road said he and his brother Shane were good friends with John and he used to “come up a lot, at all times, every day.’’ They shared an interest in cars.

“He came to me ‘cos I knew what it was like to lose your dad and I could understand,’’ said Mr Thompson. John had said to him “why should I be strong, what would it matter if it happened to me?’’

Mr Thompson told the coroner: “When your dad dies you do feel that it is all just too much but I told him to think about his family and everything he had got.’’ John told him he hadn’t slept for three days.

Though Mark Appleton said there had been no dispute between himself and John, Mr Thompson said he was aware the two did not get on and Chloe said there had been a quite serious falling out between John and Mark.

An Egremont GP’s report said in February John had looked for help, admitting he had turned to drugs and alcohol following the death of his half-brother Tony in 2009 and wanted to get his life back on track. He had been referred to a help programme and asked to come back in four weeks time but did not return.

Described as “nocturnal’’ and “mad about cars and speed’’ John, unemployed, lived at Snebro Road with his mother, Davinia Green. His parents were not together and John visited his father at his Uldale Road, Mirehouse home most days, taking him shopping and ensuring he had something to eat.

Ms Green said John, her youngest son, had attended Valley School, St Bridget’s at Egremont, then Whitehaven School and taken college courses in motor mechanics and welding but hadn’t had a job. “He was interested in cars and anything mechanical. He was a brilliant uncle, idolised by his two nephews. His father’s death affected him but he would hide his feelings. He seemed to really grow up when his dad died; I thought he would be an emotional wreck. He said we would get through it and stick together as a family.’’

She had seen him at teatime on the day he died and he hadn’t seemed any different. Her son had never said he would take his own life, “he wouldn’t have the stomach for it,’’ she added.

A toxicology report revealed John had a cannabis level in his body of 38gm per litre which was high enough to have had an effect on his ability to drive and on his thought processes and possibly make him do things or take risks he wouldn’t otherwise have done.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk