Conner Loder was killed in an accident in Newcastle in June [Family handout]
A “cowardly” racing boy who ran away and left his 15-year-old friend dead in a car crash has been jailed.
Billy Conroy was 16 when he crashed a Mazda6 in Newcastle while fleeing police, with driver Conner Loder suffering “catastrophic” head injuries, the city’s crown court heard.
Conner’s mother said her family was “devastated” by his death and the impact “has cost him his life”.
Conroy, now 17, of Ellesmere Road in Newcastle, admitted causing death by dangerous driving and was jailed for five-and-a-half years.
The court heard that Conroy, who has a history of dangerous driving, led police into speeding at 140mph when he was 15.
Before the fatal crash, he had illegally bought a car for £400 and had been seen speeding around Newcastle with five passengers posing and playing loud music hours before the crash.
The car also had stolen license plates from another car, prosecutor Emma Dowling said.
‘He was my country’
At around 01:00 BST on June 10, an officer began following the car after noticing it had no front number plate, the court heard.
Conroy drove and ran a red light but lost control and clipped the kerb, crashing into the poles supporting the Stamfordham Road road sign.
The driver and two other teenagers fled, leaving Conner and a 16-year-old with a broken leg, Ms Dowling said.
In a statement read to the court, Conner’s mother said he was a “normal young man” who loved his family and aspired to be a videographer.
“He was my country and more,” she said, adding: “I love him so much.”
He also said that he was “not like the other boys in the car” and that he was “brought up well”.
He said that other youths only thought of themselves when they ran away and did not help his son, adding: “It kills me every day to know that he had no one with him and how scared he must have been.
‘Bravado and arrogance’
The court heard that Conroy had been guilty since the age of 12 and in August 2023 he led police on a 140mph drive along the A69 towards Hexham.
In mitigation, the court heard he was “traumatized” by his friend’s death and had to live with it for the rest of his life.
Judge Tim Gittins said he “should never have been driving that night” and it was “an accident waiting to happen”.
He said the boy had been spotted earlier in the night doing 80mph on the 50mph stretch of the A1.
“You were protesting,” the judge said, adding Conroy “could not handle such a powerful vehicle properly or safely.”
He also said that the youths, who were found by the police hiding in the van, did nothing to help the injured passengers, which is cowardice.
He said the teenager’s “bravery and arrogance” were evident and he wished “every boy racer” who thought it was “great and cool” to drive dangerously, had learned lessons from Conner’s death.
Conroy, who also admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving while disqualified, must also serve a three-year license extension on his release.
He was also disqualified from driving for eight years and eight months and will have to take an extended test.
Judge Gittins lifted speech restrictions allowing Conroy’s identity to be released after requests from the press.
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