A 21-year-old man has escaped a jail term after being found guilty of causing the death of a teenager through careless driving following a collision on the B4020 near Burford.
Stephen Hocknell was behind the wheel when his car crashed, killing back seat passenger Callum Mackinnon, 18. Hocknell, of Hollybush Road, Carterton, was found guilty of causing death by careless driving following a six-day trial in October.
On Wednesday, November 30, he appeared at Oxford Crown Court where he was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work, an 18-month disqualification from driving, following which he will have to take an extended retest, and was ordered to pay £1,000 court costs. Hocknell was driving his blue Citroen C3 along Shilton Road at about 5.30pm on September 7 last year, after leaving a nearby garden centre where he worked.
He was carrying two passengers, a 19-year-old man who was in the front passenger seat and Mr Mackinnon. Hocknell lost control of his car on a right-hand bend, hitting a verge and then a tree and a wall. As a result of the collision, Mr Mackinnon died from his injuries while Hocknell and his other passenger suffered minor injuries.
Sgt Beth Walton, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “It was a combination of factors which caused Hocknell to lose control, this was speed coupled with poor positioning on the road and his inexperience as a driver.
“Sadly this is another example of a young person driving beyond their capabilities, with tragic consequences. My thoughts go out to the family of Callum Mackinnon who have supported the police investigation throughout. Hocknell has shown no remorse from the outset and has failed to recognise or take responsibility for his actions.”
