A Rye man who crashed a motorbike into a group of young children in a Southampton park, while under the influence of drink and drugs, has been jailed for four years and three months.
A 13-year-old girl was hospitalised with life-threatening injuries after 40-year-old Nathan Cooper, from Cooper Road, hit her while riding an off-road motorcycle through a park last year.
Cooper had earlier been seen showing off and racing his bike around Test Park Sports Ground in Millbrook, Southampton, where a group of six teenage girls were socialising, on Sunday June 23, 2024.
Witnesses said he was riding his motorbike at speed directly at the group of girls before swerving out of the way at the last second.
One of the girls told police Cooper was riding so close that they could “feel the wind” from the motorcycle as it sped past them.
The incident was partly captured on a phone as the group of girls had it propped against a bag to film a TikTok video of themselves.
CCTV also showed Cooper racing the bike around the park at dangerous speeds.
Analysis of Cooper’s breath and blood showed he was over the drink drive limit, and the specified limit for cannabis, at the time of the collision.
Cooper was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court on Friday October 10 to four years and three months imprisonment after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drink driving, drug driving, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Police Staff Investigator Mark Furse, who led the investigation, said the girls were terrified by Cooper’s continued attempts to frighten them. “They screamed after he got really close to them on one occasion but even then he continued to show off, before finally losing control. No sensible person would behave this way and it is a miracle nobody was killed.”
In a statement following the trial, the family of the girl who was seriously injured said their lives had changed completely after the incident. “Our daughter was left fighting for her life. While we welcome and understand the sentence the court has passed down today, we want to say that no prison sentence can ever truly reflect the devastation and trauma that this has caused to ourselves, and our families.”
Image Credits: Hampshire Police .