The family of a grandmother killed by a teenager e-bike rider who was high on cannabis have branded his sentence an ‘insult’ – and are demanding tougher laws. 

Billy Stokoe, 18, was jailed for six years and nine months for causing the death of 86-year-old Gloria Stephenson, who he knocked down at a zebra crossing in Sunderland last year. 

Dashcam footage shows Stokoe falling from an e-bike after colliding with grandmother-of-13 Ms Stephenson while she walked her daughter’s dog.

After retrieving the vehicle, he then sped off – leaving Ms Stephenson lying motionless on the ground. 

The bike – which Stokoe purchased on Facebook marketplace – was in poor condition, not road legal and prohibited from being driven on public highways. 

The teenager was also using a mobile phone while driving, and high on cannabis at the time of the collision, which occurred on May 16.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Stokoe pled guilty to death by dangerous driving and was sentenced to six years and nine months at a youth detention – avoiding the maximum term of 18 years.

He was also disqualified from driving for eight years.

Grandmother-of-13 Gloria Stephenson (pictured) was killed in Sunderland last year by teenager Billy Stokoe 

Stokoe knocked down Ms Stephenson at a zebra crossing last year while illegally driving an e-bike he bought on Facebook marketplace

Dashcam footage shows Stokoe falling from an e-bike after colliding with Ms Stephenson while she walked her daughter’s dog 

Ms Stephenson was attended to by witnesses following the collision 

Stokoe paced up and down the road with his hands to his head after going back to look at Mrs Stephenson lying on the road before fleeing

Stokoe (pictured) has been jailed for six years and nine months, avoiding the maximum 18 years

Judge Robert Adams explained that Stokoe, now 19, would spend half of his sentence in custody – a total of three years and four months.

Now, Ms Stephenson’s family have spoken of the fury at what they believe to be unduly lenient sentencing. 

Julie Francis, one of Ms Stephenson’s four daughters, described the conviction as an ‘insult’ to her mother’s memory.

Ms Francis, a retired teacher, said: ‘Nothing is ever going to bring our mum back – we recognise that.

‘But does the judge really think her life is worth just three years, four months, and two weeks in jail?

‘He’ll serve half of his sentence in jail and then he’ll be let out.

‘I feel it’s an absolute insult to our mum; to the whole of our family.’

Ms Francis – who recently appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss the incident – said her mother’s death has been ‘incredibly difficult’, and a loss her family have not mourned due to the distress the sentencing has caused. 

She said:  ‘We haven’t even been able to grieve for our mum – and we still can’t, because we’re so upset at the sentence.

Ms Stephenson’s daughter Julie Francis (pictured), who recently appeared on Good Morning Britain, has said Stokoe’s sentencing is an ‘insult’ to her mother’s memory

Ms Stephenson’s family have not mourned her death due to the distress Stokoe’s sentencing has caused them

‘Some days, the anger consumes you – the thought of our mum being killed in the way she was and then just left to die at the side of the road. He drove off and left her.’

Ms Stephenson, a retired domestic services manager at Sunderland Royal Hospital, was walking her daughter’s dog at approximately 1pm when collision took place. 

Newcastle Crown Court heard Stokoe’s bike was in poor condition and not road legal, and that he was three times over the driving limit for cannabis.

Stokoe – who fell from the e-bike – then fled the scene, driving to a friend’s house to hide the machine and change his clothes. 

He then returned home where he told his mother of the incident. She drove him to a police station just over one hour following the crash to turn himself in.

Ms Stephenson was severely injured during the initial impact of the motorbike, and her family were contacted immediately by concerned witnesses. 

One of her daughters arrived within minutes, but sadly Ms Stephenson died at the scene. 

Ms Francis said: ‘The irony of it is she’d gone out of her way to use the zebra crossing, thinking that was the safest way to cross the road.

Stokoe had been riding around with his mobile phone in his left hand for half a mile before he ploughed into Ms Stephenson

Stokoe (pictured) sobbed after his mother drove him to the police station to hand himself in

‘My sister’s dog was tagged, so someone was able to ring my sister. She lived locally, so she was there within minutes and was there with my mum as she lay dying.

‘Her son was also with her, and had the unenviable task of phoning around the other family members to tell them what happened.

‘Initially, I got told by my partner that my mum had had an accident and that she hadn’t made it.

‘I assumed she’d stepped out into the road; someone had been speeding, a momentary loss of concentration, and had hit my mum.

‘It never occurred to me that it would have been the circumstances it was – someone riding an illegal bike, off his head on cannabis.’

Stokoe’s behaviour in the run-up to the sentencing – which Ms Stephenson’s family waited one year for – also caused upset among her family.  

Only 10 days following his arrest, Stokoe asked police whether he could alter his bail conditions to allow him to watch Sunderland in last year’s Championship play-off final at Wembley.

He made a similar request about a foreign family holiday that had already been paid for.

Ms Stephenson’s family have urged that more must be done to stop the use of e-bikes illegally

At a previous hearing, Ms Francis said such actions proved he holds ‘no remorse’ for the incident. 

She said: ‘The judge said that he felt Stokoe had shown remorse but we know differently. He applied for a change to his bail days after he killed our mother so that he could go to Wembley to watch Sunderland.

‘He was posting messages on social media looking for tickets to a Halloween party. That shows no remorse or thought for our mother or our family.

‘We simply can’t believe what has happened here today, it is dreadful.’

Now, the family have urged that more must be done to stop the use of e-bikes illegally.  

Ms Francis said even seeing such vehicles is ‘very difficult’ for them, and sentences for incidents involving the bikes should be harsher to serve as a deterrent for others.  

She said: ‘When I’ve been able to, I’ve reported them to 101. But it doesn’t make a difference. It just brings it all back.

‘I’m sure some people buy them and use them legally for what they’re designed for – off-road.

‘I’m not sure how the law can be changed – maybe a starting point would be all of them, whether they’re off-road or not, would have to be registered with the DVLA and have a numberplate.

‘I think if there was a stronger deterrent, maybe people wouldn’t do it in the first place.’

Ms Francis also added that parents have responsibility for their children’s actions on the road on these bikes – saying Stokoe’s family were aware he had purchased the vehicle.

She said: ‘Billy Stokoe, the person who killed my mum – his family knew that he bought his bike on Facebook and he admitted that it wasn’t safe to drive.

‘Parents have got to take some responsibility here.

‘Neighbours must see these young people leaving their homes on these illegal bikes with their faces covered in balaclavas – ring the police.

‘But this message should have come from the judge.

‘He had a chance to give these people a really strong message, much more meaningful than anything I could say, but he’s missed an opportunity – and that’s the saddest and most infuriating thing.’