Today (26 February 2026), a man from Bolton has been sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.
At around 9:40pm that evening, officers were called to the incident on Chorley Old Road, Bolton where a Skoda Fabia, belonging to Sale, collided with a motorbike. Spencer Rothwell-Poole (22) from Horwich was riding the motorbike at the time and sadly died at the scene.

Following his arrest at the scene and further testing, Sale was found to be almost 10 times over the legal limit for ketamine whilst driving.Investigations conducted by our Serious Collision Investigation Unit led to significant evidence being obtained of Sale driving erratically throughout the evening, as spotted by multiple other drivers and CCTV footage. He was also driving on the opposite side of the road when the collision occurred.

The family of Spencer, his brother and father, both provided statements to the court following sentencing. Parts of their statements are included below:

His dad shared: “He was very kind and thoughtful, even though he was very shy, Spencer was always there with a smile on his face.

“On the 14 December 2024 at 7pm I hugged my boy for the last time.

“I told him that I loved him and to stay safe, he went out on his bike and never came back, all because of one mindless person that night.

“Cormac Sale didn’t just kill my son. He killed the family.

“I will never forgive him for taking away one of the most precious loving people in my life.

Spencer’s brother shared: “It has nearly killed me multiple times due to the fact he has gone, the thought of him not being able to reach his full potential in life is a pain that hits me every day.

“In his short 22 years of life he was my best friend someone I could turn to when I needed to, and I was the same for him.

“He was an amazingly safe and careful motorbike rider, who did everything by the book. I miss him every day.

Dangerous driving remains an issue that poses a significant risk to the public and one GMP are dedicated to preventing. We have launched a number of operations to detect this behaviour and prevent it from causing harm to our communities. In the last year, we’ve made over 70 arrests in relation to causing serious injury or death by dangerous driving.

As part of Operation Limit in December 2025, we made over 400 arrests in relation to drink and drug driving, and our work continues to ensure the public are safe on the roads.

Operation Snap was the launch of our dashcam submission portal, where the public are urged to report any footage of dangerous and unsafe driving.

This has seen an increasing number of submissions, which are helpful in supporting investigations to ensure we can prevent tragic incidents of this nature, and victims and their families receive justice.

Detective Constable James Maskrey, our Roads Police Lead Investigator said: “This sentencing reflects the devastating consequences of choosing to drive recklessly and whilst under the influence.

“Nothing can undo the loss suffered by Spencer’s family, but it is our hope that this outcome offers some measure of justice.

“When someone gets behind the wheel under the influence of ketamine, they have no control of their own judgement or body, and even a moment where drivers are dissociated or unaware on the road can be fatal.

“This case is a stark reminder that dangerous driving destroys lives, and I want to reassure the public that our officers remain absolutely committed to tackling dangerous driving and removing those who pose a risk to our roads.