A 20-year-old driver who inhaled nitrous oxide from a balloon before and after killing an elderly cyclist has been detained for more than 11 years. Cain Byrne ignored a red light and was travelling well over the 50mph speed limit when he struck Graham Slinn, 81, at a pedestrian crossing.
The collision threw Mr Slinn at least 15 feet into the air as he crossed the A57 near Todwick, South Yorkshire, on 4 April. Sheffield Crown Court heard Byrne, who has never held a driving licence, made no attempt to stop and could have been travelling at up to 80mph according to a witness.
Dangerous driving conviction
On Monday, Byrne was sentenced to 11 years and six months' detention in a young offender institution, with an extended licence period of five years. He was also banned from driving for 17 years and eight months after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and other offences.
The father-of-two from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, sped off with two passengers after the collision. Dashcam footage showed his tyres smoking as he appeared to be trying to control the vehicle following the impact.
Nitrous oxide use captured
A montage of footage shown in court revealed Byrne inhaling nitrous oxide gas from a yellow balloon multiple times whilst driving, both before and after hitting Mr Slinn. One instance occurred just moments after he struck the former builder, who helped care for adults with learning disabilities after retirement.
Mr Slinn was weeks away from celebrating his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Jaqueline when he was killed. Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said inhaling nitrous oxide was "an exceptionally dangerous act while driving" during sentencing.
Victim crossing lawfully
The judge told Byrne that Mr Slinn was "crossing the road entirely lawfully, in accordance with the green light for him" and "died of injuries inflicted by your truly appalling driving". He described Byrne as having "endured a dreadful upbringing" and "known very few boundaries" in his life.
Judge Richardson declared Byrne "a dangerous offender" and said "the public must be protected from your evident dangerous and ingrained criminal behaviour". The court heard Byrne had convictions for 27 offences, including dangerous driving, despite never holding a licence.
Family's devastating loss
Rebecca Stephens, defending, told the court her client drove off because he believed he had only hit another vehicle with his wing mirror. Mrs Slinn said in a statement that she and her husband met through their love of cycling and he rode several times a week.
After sentencing, Mr Slinn's children Nicola and Victor described their father as "kind to his core" and said his death was "100% avoidable". They said he had taken every possible precaution, dismounting at the cycle path's end and waiting for green lights before wheeling his bike across the pedestrian crossing.
Lifelong passion destroyed
The family said cycling was Mr Slinn's lifelong passion and a shared family activity, dating back to his youth when he used to race. They described how he always took safety incredibly seriously and had planned his route to stick to quiet lanes and cycle paths.
In a statement released through Thompsons Solicitors, the family said Mr Slinn's death had left a profound silence at the heart of their home. They added: "To lose any loved one is a shock. But to lose someone so vibrant, so active, and to know their death was 100% avoidable is doubly cruel."
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
