Was This Really A Prosecution In The Public Interest?

A burglary victim accused of causing the death of teenager who was fleeing on his stolen bike did what any 'reasonably minded' homeowner would do in the circumstances, a jury has been told.

What did he do? He went after the thieves! 

Dean Barnes, 16, was killed in the early hours of January 24, 2023, when the bike he was riding as a pillion passenger on crashed into a car.

Callum Duncan, 28, was woken around 6.30am on on January 24, 2024, by the noise of a gang of burglars breaking into the shed at his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester.The burglars, Barnes, alongside Alexander Riley, 21, and Adam Norman, 36, fled on his three off-road bikes and he immediately gave chase - reaching speeds of 36mph in his Golf GTi.

 I don't really know what to think about this. Oh, wait, yes I do!

                    

In the chaos that followed, Barnes was forced to abandon the Yamaha PW50 he was riding - commonly known as a 'Pee Wee'. He then got on the back of Norman's, a black a white Husqvarna, which then crashed into another car, causing the pair to be thrown off.

And incredibly, the CPS decided to charge not just the thief drving, but also the theft victim. 

Duncan and Norman are both on trial at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court charged with causing death by dangerous driving, which they deny. Norman, who denies two further charges of causing death by driving while uninsured and causing death by driving while disqualified, and Riley, both of Brinnington, Stockport, have both admitted burglary.

So the CPS could have wrapped this up without the expense of trying two men for the actions of one. 

'He does what any reasonable right minded home owner does in the those circumstances,' Mr Harman said. 'He goes to investigate. 'His motivations are different entirely from those of the burglars.' He said Duncan, 'an ongoing victim of crime' with 'his property at stake', was motivated by two things. 'Firstly, to spook the burglars enough to abandon their activity, allowing him to recover his property,' said Mr Harman.'Second, to get a good enough view of where the bikes are going and have a better idea of those involved and where they are taking the bikes.'

Not his fault at all they proved to be as incompetent at a getaway as they did, is it? 

Mr Harman said it was Norman's 'stupidity and dangerous and reckless actions' that caused the collision and Dean's death - and Duncan was not to blame. But the prosecution maintain that Duncan's 'dangerous' driving also contributed to the fatal crash.

And the jury said 'You're having a laugh, mate!' No wonder Labour want to abolish them.