An illegal e-bike rider who killed his 17-year-old best friend in a crash after speeding through a 20mph zone and performing a wheelie has been jailed.
Leon Jones, 20, was sentenced after admitting to causing the death of Spencer Crofts by dangerous driving following a collision on the Wirral Peninsula.
Spencer, 17, who had survived leukaemia as a young child, was riding a scrambler bike when he collided with Jones’s e-bike on Hoole Road in the Woodchurch Estate on November 30, 2024.
A court heard Jones, who was 18 at the time, had been travelling at speeds of up to 33mph in a 20mph zone and performed a wheelie shortly before the collision.
He had also used cannabis before the crash.
Evidence presented to the court showed both Jones’s e-bike and Spencer’s scrambler were being ridden dangerously at the time of the collision.
Jones suffered multiple serious injuries and was taken to hospital in a critical condition following the crash.
Spencer died as a result of his injuries.
Five years and four months for fatal crash
Jones admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for five years and four months.
He was also disqualified from driving for five years, with the ban beginning when he is released from prison, and will have to complete an extended driving test before being allowed back on the road.
Jones was sentenced separately for an arson attack on June 28 this year, involving a mobility scooter belonging to a man whose wife was receiving end-of-life care inside their home.
The sentences will run consecutively, resulting in a total prison term of five years and ten months.
Family ‘destroyed’ by Spencer’s death
Spencer’s family described how the teenager had overcome serious illness during childhood, having survived leukaemia when he was just three years old.
His aunt, Chayne Crofts, said Spencer was known for his kindness and loyalty and said his sudden death had “destroyed” the family.
Floral tributes left following his death described the teenager as “genuine” and someone “with the biggest heart”.
Detective Sergeant Kurt Timpson, from Merseyside Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said the case demonstrated the potentially devastating consequences of using illegal and unroadworthy vehicles.
He said the fact Jones and Spencer had been best friends made the circumstances even more upsetting.
Merseyside Police said officers will continue targeting dangerous and anti-social riders and seizing illegal bikes as part of Operation Gears.
