Man jailed for killing teen while performing a wheelie

Robert Varrier had been attending the funeral of Billy Rye when he performed a risky motorcycle stunt leading to the death of one mourner and the injury of another. Varrier's wheelie went wrong when he rammed into Aaron Smith. Maidstone Crown Court sent Varrier to prison and banned him from driving.

Hundreds of mourners had gathered at Tonge Road, Murston as a part of the funeral procession of Rye, a motocross enthusiast, on April 16. Kent Police had allowed the funeral to take place even though social distancing rules were being ignored.

Rye's mother had invited Varrier and other motorcyclists to be a part of the procession. The street was lined with people when Varrier started performing wheelies. He rammed into Smith while performing the stunts.

On impact, Varrier lost control of the vehicle. It proceeded to collide with another mourner, Warren Richards. Varrier was knocked unconscious by the impact. Witnesses claim that after Varrier regained consciousness he kept shouting, "I've killed him."

Smith and Richards were taken to a hospital in London. Suffering fatal injuries, the 17-year-old Smith passed away after the accident. The 27-year-old Richards suffered broken pelvis and ribs. According to The Sun. Varrier also suffered a broken jaw.

The police had to track down Varrier after the incident. His Suzuki off-road bike was hidden by his friends while Varrier tried to hide at his friend's home as well.

At Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, July 9, Varrier pleaded guilty to charges of causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Danny Moore, defending attorney, pointed out that the father-of-three had suffered a concussion and had post-traumatic stress disorder due to the incident. Moore stated that the resident of Limehouse Court, Sittingbourne had been "brave but sensible" by pleading guilty.

Lee Neiles from the Kent Police serious collision investigation unit, contradicted Moore's claims by informing the court that Varrier was more worried about being arrested than the condition the other accident victims were in. Neiles stated that Varrier only pleaded guilty when he realised that all evidence proved him guilty, Kent Online reported.

Judge David Griffith-Jones, jailed the waste removal driver for five years and three months. He was also banned from driving for three years.