Billy Stokoe sentence: Teen e-bike rider sent to prison for killing 86-year-old Gloria Stephenson in hit-and-run crash on zebra crossing

The e-bike rider who knocked over and killed an 86-year-old man at a pedestrian crossing was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison.

Billy Stokoe, 19, was over the cannabis limit when he hit Gloria Stephenson in Sunderland on May 16, 2025.

Stokoe was riding an illegal and defective Sur-Ron e-bike at the time.

Newcastle Crown Court previously heard he held his mobile phone in his left hand and drove for half a mile despite the left-hand brake being the only working brake.

Dashcam footage showed he did not slow down or try to avoid when he hit Ms Stephenson, who was walking her daughter’s dog and trying to complete her 10,000 steps a day.

Stokoe was thrown from the bike but did not stop to help. Instead, he set out to change clothes and hide the bike at a friend’s house.

He turned himself in to the police station about an hour later.

The teenager was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

Stokoe was also banned from driving for more than eight years.

Judge Robert Adams said Ms Stephenson was a vulnerable road user waiting for traffic to stop at the pedestrian crossing for herself and her dog.

She was a mother of four, with 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, who managed the home services of a local health agency.

Despite the intervention of air ambulance experts, the woman, who was seriously injured in her leg and had a heart attack, died at the scene.

Lisa Tench, one of his four daughters, addressed Stokoe at the dock Friday.

In his statement, the victim said: “You, with your illegal, defective bicycle. You, speeding. You, with your phone. You, you are under the influence of marijuana.”

“My mother didn’t stand a chance. You hit her so brutally, you threw her feet off the walkway, you gave her those terrible wounds, and you injured my dog.”

“You went and left him there to die.”

Eldest daughter Julie Francis told the court: “Our mother was fit and healthy and had years left to live a full and active life.

“He had a zest for life that did not fade or diminish with age; he was vibrant and full of life until the day you killed him.

“Our mother was a beautiful woman, looking good was effortless for her, in fact she was known as ‘The Glamorous Gloria’.

“But more importantly, he was a good person, had strong moral principles and tried to live his life accordingly.”

The family were angry that Stokoe had applied to have his bail conditions changed so he could go on holiday and go to Wembley to watch Sunderland in 2025; but the court heard he did not attend the match.

They believed Stokoe had shown no remorse, although Judge Adams said he had seen evidence of the teenager’s remorse and distress.

Prosecutor Michael Bunch said dashcam footage showed Stokoe driving with his phone in his left hand before the fatal crash.

The uninsured e-bike, which was not legal to ride on the street, had no brake on the right side and no brake lever because it was defective.

Mr Bunch said an expert who later assessed the machine found that “it would have been obvious to a careful and competent rider that the bike was not in a safe condition for use on public roads”.

The court heard Stokoe should have driven more carefully as he knew he only had one brake.

The court heard the only working brake was the left brake and Stokoe was carrying his phone in that hand and should have driven more carefully.

Helen Towers, defending, stated that the young man was remorseful and said: “I will regret it forever and I never expect to be forgiven.

“I wish more than anything that I could change everything.”

A psychological assessment revealed Stokoe’s IQ was just 66 and the court heard he suffered from ADHD.

He continued to smoke cannabis even after the collision to help him sleep and the court heard he was experiencing flashbacks.

Sentencing, Judge Adams said: “The defendant will have to live with his actions for the rest of his life.”

Outside court, Northumbria Police urged the public to report dangerous e-bike riders.

Inspector Billy Mulligan said: “We didn’t know Billy Stokoe, but I guarantee people knew he was cycling like this and our plea to the public is: ‘Let us know so we can do something about it’.”

The officer insisted police would take action against threats to young men on e-bikes and said the perception that officers would not pursue them was wrong.