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18 January 2011
Last updated at 09:33 ET
A joyrider who killed a student while attempting to elude police while in a stolen car in Liverpool has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years.
David Gaskell, 21, from Everton, hit Andrew O'Neill while driving an Audi Q5 on Dale Street on 27 November.
The 20-year-old from County Tyrone, who was a student at Liverpool John Moores University, died of multiple injuries.
Gaskell was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
The court was shown CCTV footage of officers surrounding the car and trying to smash through its windows with batons.
But Gaskell drove the car over a pavement, missing two pedestrians, before driving off at speeds of up to 50mph (80km/h) the wrong way down a one-way street.
'Bulldozed through traffic' He struck a taxi before driving into Mr O'Neill - carrying him on the bonnet for about 40m (131ft) - and fleeing the scene.
Robert Jansen, prosecuting, told the court that in a police interview Gaskell's co-accused Lewis Gandy, 20, from Croxteth, admitted being in the car to go on a "joy ride".
He described the drive along Dale Street as "something like a video game where you swerve to avoid oncoming objects", the court heard.
Gaskell, who also pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst disqualified, left the car and ran onto a flyover, where he fell about 20ft to the ground, breaking his leg.
Sentencing Gaskell and Gandy, Recorder of Liverpool Judge Henry Globe QC said: "In all, your case is almost as bad as any case could be.
"The only aggravating factor that doesn't apply to your case is the death of more than one person or injury to other people.
"That was an element of good fortune rather than any other factor."
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David Gaskell, 21, from Everton, hit Andrew O'Neill while driving an Audi Q5 on Dale Street on 27 November.
The 20-year-old from County Tyrone, who was a student at Liverpool John Moores University, died of multiple injuries.
Gaskell was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting causing death by dangerous driving.
The court was shown CCTV footage of officers surrounding the car and trying to smash through its windows with batons.
But Gaskell drove the car over a pavement, missing two pedestrians, before driving off at speeds of up to 50mph (80km/h) the wrong way down a one-way street.
'Bulldozed through traffic' He struck a taxi before driving into Mr O'Neill - carrying him on the bonnet for about 40m (131ft) - and fleeing the scene.
Robert Jansen, prosecuting, told the court that in a police interview Gaskell's co-accused Lewis Gandy, 20, from Croxteth, admitted being in the car to go on a "joy ride".
He described the drive along Dale Street as "something like a video game where you swerve to avoid oncoming objects", the court heard.
Gaskell, who also pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicle taking and driving whilst disqualified, left the car and ran onto a flyover, where he fell about 20ft to the ground, breaking his leg.
Sentencing Gaskell and Gandy, Recorder of Liverpool Judge Henry Globe QC said: "In all, your case is almost as bad as any case could be.
"The only aggravating factor that doesn't apply to your case is the death of more than one person or injury to other people.
"That was an element of good fortune rather than any other factor."
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