Teen motorcyclist who 'told lies' fled scene after seriously injuring boy

A teenage motorcyclist who fled from the scene after he hit and seriously injured a six year-old boy has been found guilty of trying to evade justice.

Arlo Buckley, now eight, was seriously injured in the incident which took place on Central Drive in Shotton, Flintshire, on 11 September 2024.

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

Dane Longhurst, Kaylem Longhurst's brother, was found not guilty and discharged from the dock.

His mother Terry Follows and Shane Hunt, the ex-partner of his sister, were found guilty of perverting the course of justice by plotting to remove Longhurst from the area to avoid arrest.

Cara Haran, Longhurst's older sister, had already pleaded guilty to her part in the conspiracy.

Judge Simon Mills said that the three defendants had shown "no remorse" in relation to Arlo Buckley.

He asked prosecutor Ember Wong for an update on his condition, who told the judge that he remains under the care of medical professionals.

The judge said the bike should never have been on the road in the first place.

Mills said he would take into account the fact Kaylem Longhurst was 16 at the time, but added it was inevitable he would be spending time at a young offender institution.

Previously, at Mold Crown Court, Wong said Longhurst was "weaving" through traffic without a helmet, licence or working front brake before fleeing.

Arlo, who was unresponsive, was treated by bystanders and airlifted to Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Wong also described a flurry of calls between Longhurst and his family, with his coat burned and his bike hidden before Hunt and Haran drove him to York, where he later searched online for hit and run sentences and was arrested.

The judge said the verdicts were "entirely consistent with the evidence" and that neither had shown remorse for Arlo during the trial.

He said Longhurst should not have been riding the motorcycle and had left the injured child "to his fate" while attempting to to organise a "campaign of telling lies".

He added that the burning of the coat suggested that there had been a contemplation of avoiding responsibility, describing it as an "appalling decision".

He told the court: "The fact that a child was so seriously injured is surely relevant to this case."