Mother lied to police about seeing son after hit and run, court told

The mother of a motorcyclist who hit and seriously injured a five-year-old boy admitted lying to police about having seen him after the incident, a court has heard.

Arlo Buckley had to be airlifted to hospital following the collision on Central Drive in Shotton, Flintshire, on 11 September 2024.

Kaylem Longhurst, 18, from Nantwich, Cheshire, has already admitted dangerous driving in relation to the crash.

However, he and three others, including his mother Terry Follows, 42, deny conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice.

Mold Crown Court heard Follows told police she had not seen her son since the day before the accident, although she had been with him hours earlier.

She said she lied because she "didn't necessarily think it was as serious as it turned out to be".

She claimed when a friend phoned her to say Kaylem had hit someone she thought he had "had a fist fight with someone which was quite regular".

Follows, who faced questions from her defence barrister and cross examination from prosecution barrister Ember Wong, said she had seen her son Kaylem shortly after the collision as he had ridden a pushbike to her house.

Asked if he seemed anxious or whether she'd noticed anything unusual, she said: "He was hot and sweaty."

When she asked him why, he replied: "I've just rode on my bike in a big coat and it's warm," she said.

She described going to work at a local takeaway that afternoon and during a call to her other son Dane, 19, she learned that police were at her house, although she said she did not know why.

She claimed that she only learned of the gravity of the situation during her police interview after she had been arrested.

The prosecution alleges that she, along with her sons, her daughter Cara Haran - who has already admitted taking part in a conspiracy - and Shane Hunt, 39, plotted to have Longhurst driven to York an hour after the incident and to cover up his involvement.

Follows said she believed Haran was taking Longhurst for food with Hunt and denied knowing about the plan to take him to York.

Wong asked what Longhurst had told her in a phone conversation shortly after hitting the child. Follows said: "He just said 'I'm bored'."

Wong asked "Are you saying your 16-year-old son thinks he's just killed someone and he just tells you he's bored, he puts on an act?"

Follows said: "Yeah."

She claimed to have no knowledge of Longhurst's involvement in the crash despite her children saying in police interviews that they had told her about it.

She said they must be lying.

Kaylem Longhurst's brother Dane Longhurst gave his evidence with the help of an intermediary to clarify some of the questions put to him.

When asked if he had helped to burn Kaylem's clothes on the day of the accident, he said "no".

He was asked if he had helped to move his brother's motorbike from his mother's back garden - replying "no".

Under cross examination, Dane Longhurst was asked if he understood the police might want to look at the bike after the accident. He said he did not.

He was asked if he knew someone had moved it - he said he did.

Ember Wong asked "Was that the right thing or the wrong thing to do?" he replied "The wrong thing".

He was reminded of his police interview when he told them he'd had a conversation with a friend who informed him a child had been knocked over.

In response he said he only knew his brother had done something but he didn't know what.

He said his sister Cara was the only one to talk about burning the clothes as he was walking out the door.

He said "I didn't want to get involved".

The jury heard that Dane Longhurst was present when Arlo's mother had gone to Terry Follows' house after he was injured and was "screaming and shouting".

Dane Longhurst was asked if he knew why she was upset - he said he didn't know.

Shane Hunt told the court he could not remember what had happened during a flurry of calls to and from his mobile in the aftermath of the accident, saying it was a long time ago.

He said he became aware of something going on in the street involving a large crowd.

Hunt's then partner Haran approached his van and said someone was kicking off at the house so could he take Kaylem and her children to her father's in York.

He denied taking Kaylem away from the police.

All four defendants deny the charges and the trial continues.