Manchester teen sentenced non-custodial for e-scooter death

A 15-year-old boy has been given a non-custodial sentence for causing the death of his friend in a crash involving an electric scooter. The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on June 30, 2026, after pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving.

The fatal collision occurred on March 19, 2025, on Southmoor Road in Wythenshawe, Manchester. The court heard the boy was riding the e-scooter at high speed with his 14-year-old friend, Jacob Calland, as a passenger. CCTV evidence showed the pair traveling on a footpath and overtaking vehicles before approaching a junction. The scooter ran a red light and entered the dual carriageway, where it swerved to avoid one car before colliding with a black BMW. Prosecutors said the car driver would have had less than a quarter of a second to react.

Both boys were thrown into the air and struck a stationary Peugeot in the opposite lane. Jacob sustained a catastrophic brain injury and was flown by air ambulance to Manchester Children’s Hospital. His life support was withdrawn eight days later, on March 27, 2025, and he died with his family at his side.

In a victim impact statement, Jacob’s...