Two sentenced for death by dangerous driving in Whitley Bay

Both were given a jail sentence at Newcastle Crown Court after they admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

And now Northumbria Police has released footage showing them racing each other in Whitley Bay just moments before William Dorey was hit.

The 18-year-old was running close to his home next to the A193 The Links road when he was struck by a Renault Megane that had lost control and mounted the pavement.

The impact of the collision flung him into the air and left him with catastrophic injuries that sadly proved to be fatal.

In the moments before the crash on May 7 last year, the driver of the Renault Megane, Joshua Cherukara, had been racing his friend Harry Cable's Vauxhall Corsa along the coast.At around 10pm that evening, CCTV captured the moment that Cherukara lost control of his vehicle and collided with Willliam.

Cherukara, 20, of Dachet Road, Whitley Bay, was jailed for six years and nine months for death by dangerous driving.

Cable, 18, of Deneholm, Whitley Bay, was jailed for four years and six months, also for death by dangerous driving.

A statement from the family of William Dorey included the following: 'This marks the end of the legal process that began a year ago with the death of our dear son and brother Will; a truly awful event for our family.

'There can surely be few things more painful to endure than the loss of a young life, especially in such wholly avoidable circumstances. 'Constantly and forever in our thoughts and hearts, Will was, and would have continued to be, a wonderful and precious son and brother.'Knowing that we will never see him again is very hard. Our grief and profound sense of loss still overwhelms us.

'We now have to live with the consequences of this accident, which has been a tragedy for all concerned. Lives have been ruined, changed forever. 'It is another horrific reminder of the utter devastation that can strike without warning when, through selfish, arrogant and unthinking behaviour, people act with so little care and regard for the lives of others. 'We would appeal, in particular to parents of young men, to guide them to think about the catastrophic consequences of driving in an unsafe and dangerous manner as Cherukara and Cable chose to do on May 7 last year.

'For their tremendous dedication, professionalism and sheer hard work throughout the course of their investigations, we thank and pay tribute to Northumbria Police. 'They have been truly outstanding. We wish to thank all those who came forward with information following the accident and all involved in the legal process, knowing how hard such work can be. 'We thank all at King’s Priory School, as well as ambulance and medical staff at Newcastle RVI. Our heartfelt thanks go too to family, friends, neighbours and colleagues and all of William’s many friends for all their help and support.

'We are determined to build something positive and hopeful from this tragedy, which is why, with money that has been raised and assistance from Newcastle Climbing Centre, Kings Priory School has established the William Dorey Climbing Club.

'We respectfully ask that we now be left to adjust to living without William.'

The court heard that Cherukara was doing more than 80mph in a 30mph zone when he lost control and then hit William.

Sergeant Lee Butler, of Northumbria Police's Motor Patrols Department, said the two defendants spent the evening of May 7 racing along the coast and were caught on CCTV driving at high speed.

He added: "This is a devastating case that shows what can happen when people take for granted the damage a vehicle can do.

"It is perhaps inevitable that one of these young men would crash given the manner of their driving that evening."But the tragic reality is that William Dorey was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and that cost him his life."He did not deserve to die and was a young man with his entire life ahead of him. The defendants in this case will have to live with that for the rest of their life."They have now been jailed for causing his death. This won't bring William back, but hopefully it does give his family some justice."