Michael Bowker: Driver in Chloe Cockton crash jailed

Michael Bowker

Michael Bowker (09/04/97), the driver who caused the death of 16-year-old Chloe Cockton after he crashed his car in Rochdale, has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in a Young Offender Institution.

Bowker, of Croft Street, Rochdale, was sentenced on Friday (25 November) when he appeared before Manchester Crown Court, Minshull Street. He was also disqualified from driving for eight years.

At a previous court hearing he pleaded guilty to causing the death of Chloe by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

At around 2.20am on Sunday 24 July 2016, police were called to Bury Road, Rochdale, to reports a Renault Clio had collided with a barrier.

Bowker had been driving the Clio with Chloe, two 17-year-old girls and a 17-year-old boy as passengers.

He was giving them a lift home after they had been to a party in the Greenbooth area.

Bowker was driving along Bury Road in the direction of Rochdale town centre when he went round a set of bollards just before the junction with Mellor Street.

CCTV footage showed him travelling well above the 30mph speed limit on the wrong side of the road, before driving back on to the correct side of the road and braking heavily. He then lost control as he swerved to the left and struck the nearside kerb.

The car rolled and collided with a pedestrian barrier on the opposite side of the carriageway.

Witnesses reported seeing the car travelling between 60mph and 70mph before the collision.

Bowker and each of his passengers were taken to hospital where Chloe died as a result of her injuries.

One of the other girls suffered serious injuries including collar bone fractures, cuts and bruising.

The third girl suffered a fracture to her collar bone, the boy suffered minor abrasions to his body, and Bowker suffered a serious head injury which required reconstructive surgery.

• http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/104250/chloe-cockton-died-and-four-others-injured-in-collision

Police Constable Neil Pennington, of GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “This is a terribly sad case which resulted in the loss of a young life and serious injuries to others.
“Chloe was only 16-years-old and has needlessly died as a result of Bowker’s decision to drive in an extremely dangerous fashion.

“One of the most tragic elements of the crash is that it was completely avoidable.
“From the moment he got behind the wheel that night, Bowker drove with total disregard for his passengers.

“The girls, who were sat in the back of the car, told how he was driving too quickly along the country lanes and was constantly having to brake to avoid pedestrians and other vehicles.
“He drove at high speed on the wrong side of the carriageway and ignored passenger requests to slow down and, on a number of occasions, to get out of the car.

“Bowker, who himself has suffered life-changing injuries as a result of his own recklessness, also paid no attention when he was told by the girls that the seatbelts in the back were not working.

“Today’s sentence cannot bring back Chloe, but it should provide a stark reminder of the perils of driving dangerously.

“I hope it can at least bring some closure to Chloe’s family and help prevent other lives being needlessly lost on our roads.”