A motorcycle rider who raced another biker at high speeds through Portslade before the other rider crashed and died has been jailed for dangerous driving.
Aaron Barrett reached dangerously high speeds through Fox Way, Portslade, in April last year.
Witnesses saw the 32-year-old riding alongside another motorcycle rider, Luke Batchelor, and the two men appeared to be “racing” each other.
One witness said: “It was crazy how fast they were going.”
Tragically, Mr Batchelor, from Southwick, collided with an oncoming vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Barrett was himself seriously injured, and was arrested in hospital.
He was banned at the time of the incident and told officers while under caution that he may have reached 80mph in the 30mph zone.
At Lewes Crown Court on Monday 17 April this year, he admitted a charge of dangerous driving.
The judge, Recorder Nicola Makanjuola, sentenced Barrett to 22 months in prison and he was disqualified from driving for a further four years and eight months.
The court was told about how the incident unfolded on Saturday 16 April last year at about 4.30pm.
Witnesses described hearing the loud noise of motorcycles revving and then a loud bang.
The two motorcycle riders were seen “down low, in a racing position”.
One witness said that Barrett’s riding “showed no consideration for anyone else and no consideration that other people could be using the road.”
Driving at excess speed is one of the main factors in why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.
Barrett, formerly of North Road, Brighton, was still disqualified after offences committed on Tuesday 20 October 2020.
A blood test showed that he was also over the limit for cannabis .
He tested positive for 3 micrograms of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (the chemical breakdown of the class B drug) per litre of his blood. The legal limit is 2mcg per litre of blood.
Sussex Police said that it was sharing the news of the court result to highlight that a dangerous driver had now been taken off our streets and roads.
The case also showed the importance of road safety to keep everyone safe on our roads, the force said.
A separate inquest hearing in connection with the death of Mr Batchelor has been listed to take place in June.
In summing up the judge said two things. Your friend Luke Batchelor gave you the greatest gift of all the gift of life itself and a scar on your leg to remember him by. 👏
As we all know Luke turned his life around and put his past behind him, so anything is possible if you really want it.
Respect is earned by action alone, not by self gratification to the people in the back row. 🤡🤡🤡🤡
They are both lucky they didn’t kill a child in their ridiculous race.. was it worth speeding and acting like a loser ?
What agony Luke’s family feel must be beyond belief! But also how selfish to race a friend and risk his life I hope he doesn’t have children that feel the loss of him!
Speeding and high at the same time? I’ve been to a few of those jobs in the past few years. Picking up the pieces, sometimes literally. See one of those up close in your lifetime, and you will never want to speed again.