A 22 year old man has been jailed for seven years after he fatally struck a 28-year-old down with his car in Harpurhey last December.
Kayden Wallbank of no fixed abode, was sentenced after pleading guilty to a catalogue of driving offences including Causing death by dangerous driving,causing death whilst unlicensed and causing death whilst uninsured.
Manchester Crown Square Court heard that Wallbank was driving a black BMW along Fernclough Road towards Lathurby Road when Callum Steadman was walking to the shops with his friend and started crossing Fernclough Road.As he stepped out, the 28-year-old was hit by Wallbank’s BMW and thrown 30 metres into the air, before landing by a tree.
Instead of stopping and checking on Callum’s condition or calling for help, Wallbank sped off from the scene before abandoning his car nearby.Callum was taken to hospital, but sadly his injuries were too severe and he died a short time later.
Wallbank remained undetected for four days despite the media appeals police had issued and on Tuesday 5 December 2017, he was finally arrested.
Sergeant Lee Westhead of GMP’s Serious Collision and Investigation Unit, said: “I can do nothing but praise the immense strength, courage and dignity shown by Callum’s family.
“Wallbank is a weak and cowardly individual who struck Callum down at speed, fleeing the scene with no thought for the man he’d fatally wounded.
“Instead, he hid from police, in a futile attempt to avoid justice for his abhorrent behaviour and has still failed to show any remorse.
“Wallbank has proved himself to be a self-pitying individual who is afraid of incarceration but today’s result shows our absolute commitment to ensuring those who drive recklessly are always brought to justice.”
