Terrence King, 60, has been sentenced to life in prison for the death of 15-year-old Devon Simmonds-Caines, who was struck and killed by King's vehicle on July 22 of last year in Middleton, Manchester.
King claimed he only intended to 'block in' the e-bike and did not mean to harm the teenager. The court heard that the e-bike Devon was riding had been stolen earlier that day. During a retrial, King was found guilty of murder and subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 16 years and one day.
Minshull Street Crown Court heard that King pursued Devon in his black Vauxhall at high speed before deliberately veering to collide with the boy. Video footage presented in court indicated that the vehicle's brakes were not applied during the pursuit. Devon suffered catastrophic and unsurvivable injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
In her victim impact statement, Devon's grandmother, Yvonne, described him as a 'bright, caring and happy boy' with ambitions to start his own hat business. His father stated that Devon, a talented and clever boy, had his whole life ahead of him. His mother noted that Devon had been making positive changes in his life before his future was taken.
During the sentencing, Judge Maurice Greene stated that while the initial robbery of the e-bike was wrong, it did not justify King's actions, emphasizing that "The law does not permit anger, panic or misguided loyalty to be turned into violence." The judge concluded that King's intention was to cause "really serious harm" and that the collision was not a "momentary brush with danger."
Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe commented that King "deliberately drove his car into Devon, causing traumatic injuries that sadly resulted in his death." He added that the investigation hopes the verdict brings some closure to Devon's family and friends, who have endured an incredibly difficult year.