Latest news with #DeanBarnes
Times
11-07-2025
- Times
Burglary victim who gave chase cleared of causing teenager's death
A burglary victim has been cleared of causing the death of a teenager who was fleeing on his stolen motorbike. Callum Duncan, 28, was woken around 6.30am on January 24 2023 by the noise of a gang of burglars breaking into the shed at his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester. They had known bikes were stored in the shed after seeing one for sale on Facebook. The burglars, Dean Barnes, 16, Alexander Riley, 21, and Adam Norman, 36, fled on three of Duncan's bikes and Duncan chased them in his Golf GTI, reaching speeds of 36mph in a 20mph zone. Barnes was forced to abandon the Yamaha PW50 he was riding and got on the back of Norman's stolen bike, a black and white Husqvarna. They hit another car and fell off the bike. Although Norman suffered extensive injuries, he left the scene. Barnes was killed 'instantly'. Duncan and Norman had faced trial after they were accused of causing death by dangerous driving. Daniel Harman, Duncan's barrister, had argued that he'd only done 'what any reasonable, right-minded homeowner does in the circumstances'. A jury at Manchester's Minshull Street crown court took less than four-and-a-half hours to find Norman guilty. Duncan, a father of two, was found not guilty as his family watched on from the public gallery. The jury was told that Barnes died after Norman sped across a junction at a speed of between 50 to 60mph, according to the female driver of the car he hit. Neither had been wearing helmets. Duncan had chased the bikes for about 250 metres before coming to a stop at the junction. The jury was told that Norman, who was also found guilty of causing death by driving while uninsured and causing death by driving while disqualified, felt he had 'no choice' but to cross the junction because he was worried Duncan was 'getting too close' to him and he was 'panicking'. 'I was in fear for my life,' he said. 'I would have been rammed.' The jury were told that Norman and Riley, both of Brinnington, Stockport, had previously admitted their role in the burglary. Both will be sentenced on September 9.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Forensics at scene and evidence tent in place in Old Trafford park after 'suspicious item' report
Forensics were called and an evidence tent put in place in a park in Old Trafford following an incident on Thursday afternoon (July 10). Police were in attendance in Hullard Park, near to the entrance at the junction with Stanley Street after reports of a 'suspicious item' were made to officers. A cordon was put in place, with multiple police vehicles and CSI vans seen parked beside the park entrance. Police tape surrounded an area with a blue evidence tent also erected. READ MORE: Gangster Jamie Rothwell STABBED in Strangeways prison during trial READ MORE: Dean Barnes trial: Burglary victim cleared of causing death by dangerous driving as thief who rode stolen bike convicted Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here Officers first attended the park at around 1.15pm. Forensics teams in white suits attended and were supported by officers at the scene, who also blocked off entrances to the area. However in a turn of events, it was later confirmed that a bag had been found. There was speculation on social media, before it was deemed to have been a 'bag of chicken wings'. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE The incident was later stood down and not deemed to be suspicious. One witness claimed it was the 'remains of multiple chickens' which were causing a 'huge stench' in the area. --- Day in day out, our reporters in the Manchester Evening News newsroom bring you remarkable stories from all aspects of Mancunian life. However, with the pace of life these days, the frenetic news agenda and social media algorithms, you might not be getting a chance to read it. That's why every week our Features and Perspectives editor Rob Williams brings you Unmissable, highlighting the best of what we do - bringing it to you directly from us. Make sure you don't miss out, and see what else we have to offer, by clicking here and signing up for MEN Daily News. And be sure to join our politics writer Jo Timan every Sunday for his essential commentary on what matters most to you in Greater Manchester each week in our newsletter Due North. You can also sign up for that here. You can also get all your favourite content from the Manchester Evening News on WhatsApp. Click here to see everything we offer, including everything from breaking news to Coronation Street. If you prefer reading our stories on your phone, consider downloading the Manchester Evening News app here, and our news desk will make sure every time an essential story breaks, you'll be the first to hear about it. And finally, if there is a story you think our journalists should be looking into, we want to hear from you. Email us on newsdesk@ or give us a ring on 0161 211 2920.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Yahoo
Dean Barnes trial: Burglary victim cleared of causing death by dangerous driving as thief on stolen bike convicted
A burglary victim who chased down thieves after they stole motorbikes from his home has been found not guilty of causing one of their deaths in an ensuing chase. The thief who was driving Dean Barnes on a stolen motorbike has been convicted. Barnes, 16, was riding as a pillion passenger when the bike he was travelling on crashed, while being pursued through Stockport by Callum Duncan. Barnes was riding in a bike being driven by Adam Norman, which crashed after it clipped an innocent woman's car. He was killed instantly. Norman was 'lucky' and was able to walk away from the collision. READ MORE: 'She's going home to die... it hasn't hit us, it feels like we're in a bad dream' READ MORE: Incredible plans announced to build a Manchester city centre underground network Mr Duncan, 28, was not accused of colliding with the bike being driven by Norman, but he was accused of contributing to the crash. After a two week trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, Mr Duncan, of Salisbury Street in Reddish, was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. Sign up to the MEN Court newsletter here Norman, who had already admitted burglary, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. Another man, Alexander Riley, who was out stealing the bikes with Norman and Barnes, has also admitted burglary. Norman, 36, of no fixed address but from Brinnington; and Riley 21, of Blackberry Lane in Brinnington; will be sentenced in September. Tributes were paid to Barnes at the time of his death by his family. A loved one said: "He was such a dare devil but sweet boy, and he will be truly missed on the estate. "There's not a day that will go by where no one won't think about him because he was so loved by his family, friends and the big community. Another young life taken far to soon, we'll see you on the other side of the stars Deano." Prosecutors told how the Norman, Riley and Barnes went out in the early hours to commit a burglary at a house in Harewood Grove, Reddish. They knew bikes were stored in a shed after seeing one for sale on Facebook Marketplace, the trial heard. A drill and bolt croppers were used to break into the shed, at about 6.30am that morning. Barnes took a small Yamaha PW50, commonly known as a 'Pee Wee', Riley rode a larger Kawasaki and Norman took the largest bike, a white and black Husqvarna. The Husqvarna belonged to Mr Duncan, and the two other bikes belonged to his family and friends. Having heard the break-in, Mr Duncan gave chase in his Golf GTI. Shortly after realising they were being chased, Barnes left the 'Pee Wee' behind and got on the back of the Husqvarna with Norman. Riley fled down Wharfdale Road. Mr Duncan was said to be travelling at up to 36mph in a 20mph zone and was seen to 'bounce' over speed bumps. He was closing the gap on the bike being driven by Norman. Riley turned right onto Gorton Road. Norman instead tried to ride straight, across two lanes of traffic, onto Ainsdale Grove, a residential road opposite. 'Sadly for Dean Barnes, Adam Norman didn't make it,' prosecutor Phil Barnes said. Sarah Ferrige, a driver 'doing absolutely nothing wrong', came along Gorton Road from the left. Norman clipped her car, and both men fell from the bike. Norman was 'lucky', Mr Barnes said, and was able to walk away from the crash. But Dean Barnes fell and hit a parked car, and was killed 'instantly'. Mr Duncan stopped before the collision and was not accused of colliding with the bike being driven by Norman. Mr Barnes said that Mr Duncan took the Husqvarna bike from the scene and brought it to his mother's house nearby. The 'Pee Wee' bike was later also returned to his possession. Mr Duncan only called the emergency services almost four hours later, the court heard. He then said he had 'only just realised how bad it was'. After being arrested shortly after, Mr Duncan replied 'no comment' to most questions, but added: 'I wasn't driving dangerously, didn't do nothing to cause the crash.' Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp group HERE Giving evidence, Mr Duncan said that morning he had heard 'bikes starting up'. He told jurors: "I looked out my window and saw three males in the road on my bikes. I realised my bikes had been taken, I kept three off-road bikes in my shed. "I went downstairs, found my keys, put my sliders on and a coat and got in my car. I was curious to see where they were going." Mr Duncan said he stopped at the junction prior to the crash because it was a 'busy main road'. He denied trying to 'ram' the bike, saying: "Otherwise I wouldn't have braked in the road." He said he didn't see the fatal collision, adding: "I just heard a bang. I can't really explain how I felt, I've never felt that way since." Norman went into 'hiding' after the incident and was only arrested on June 23, 2023. He replied 'no comment' to questions in his police interview. Mr Barnes said of Norman: 'In his desperation to get away from the crime he had just committed, he rode that already dangerous bike at a speed which was completely excessive for the road conditions, paying no heed to other traffic, failing to give way at the junction and barrelling through blindly in the vain hope that he would make it to the other side.'
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Burglary victim who pursued teenage thief, 16, fleeing on stolen motorbike before fatal crash is cleared of dangerous driving
A burglary victim who reacted like any 'reasonable right-minded' homeowner has been cleared of causing the death of a teenager who was fleeing on his stolen motorbike. Callum Duncan, 28, was woken around 6.30am on January 24 last year by the noise of a gang of burglars breaking into the shed at his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester. They had known bikes were stored in the shed after seeing one for sale on Facebook. The burglars, Dean Barnes, 16, Alexander Riley, 21, and Adam Norman, 36, fled on Duncan's three off-road bikes and he immediately gave chase - reaching speeds of 36mph in a 20mph zone in his Golf GTi. Barnes was forced to abandon the Yamaha PW50 - commonly known as a 'Pee Wee' - he was riding. He then got on the back of Norman's stolen bike, a black and white Husqvarna, which hit another car, causing the pair to be thrown off. Although Norman suffered extensive injuries he left the scene, while Barnes was killed 'instantly' after also hitting a parked car. Duncan and Norman had faced trial after they were accused of causing death by dangerous driving. A jury at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court took less than four-and-a-half hours to find Norman guilty, but found father-of-two Duncan not guilty as his family watched on from the public gallery. The jury heard how Barnes died after Norman sped across a junction at a speed of between 50 to 60mph, according to the female driver of the car he hit. Neither had been wearing helmets. Meanwhile, Duncan had only chased the bikes for around 250m (800ft) before coming to a stop at the junction. But the prosecution claimed both men had caused the fatal crash. Opening the case, Phil Barnes, prosecuting, told the jury that it was 'no defence' for Duncan to plead that he was entitled to drive 'however he liked in an effort to recover his stolen property.' 'He still owed a duty to all the other road users around him, including those men on his bike,' he said. 'The standard of driving to which he must be held to account does not change because of the circumstances he was in.' Mr Barnes told the jury that while he recognised they would have a 'degree of sympathy' for Duncan he'd known there was a 'risk' by pursuing the gang in his car. The jury heard that a 'furious' Duncan had accelerated and got within one second of Norman and his Golf was seen to 'bounce' across speed bumps in video footage played in court Mr Barnes accused Duncan of exacting 'retribution' and pursuing a 'personal vendetta', saying his actions had made a collision 'more likely'. If Norman was the 'main cause' of the crash, he added, that did not mean Duncan wasn't 'a cause'. When giving evidence, Duncan said he had only been 'curious' to see where the bikes were going and he denied the suggestion he would have 'rammed' them off the road. He claimed he'd only had 'ten seconds' to react during the incident and to have gone through all of the scenarios in his head would have been 'impossible' Duncan, who only admitted his involvement in the crash to police around four hours later, said he hadn't seen the collision, adding: 'I just heard a bang. I can't really explain how I felt, I've never felt that way since.' And he told he jury how he'd received 'threats' in the aftermath. His barrister Daniel Harman had argued that he'd only done 'what any reasonable right-minded homeowner does in the circumstances' which was to 'investigate' what was happening to his bikes. Mr Harman added that it was Norman's 'stupidity and dangerous and reckless actions' that caused the collision and Barnes' death - and Duncan was not to blame. The jury heard that Norman, who was also found guilty of charges of causing death by driving while uninsured and causing death by driving while disqualified, felt he had 'no choice' but to cross the junction because he was worried Duncan was 'getting too close' to him and he was 'panicking'. 'I was in fear for my life,' he said. 'I would have been rammed.' The jury were told that Norman and Riley, both of Brinnington, Stockport, had previously admitted their role in the burglary. Both will be sentenced on September 9. Barnes was previously convicted for his part in a plot to steal a car belonging to a business owner who was run over and killed. 'Respected' father-of-three Mohammed Islam, 53, who owned the Marple Spice restaurant in Marple, Stockport, died as he tried to stop a gang stealing his silver Mercedes, a 25th wedding anniversary gift from his children. Manchester Crown Court heard how Mr Islam - also known as Nowab Miah - was delivering a takeaway in nearby Romiley in January 2021 when the gang struck. He had tried to cling on to the car before he was sent 'flying' to the ground, with the car then running over his head. The boy behind the wheel, aged 14 at the time, who'd 'floored' the vehicle in a manner akin to Top Gear, was convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to steal and jailed for four years and nine months. Three other teens were sentenced for their roles in the carjacking while Barnes was handed a 12-month detention and training order.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Burglary victim, 28, accused of crash that killed fleeing teenage thief, 16, did whatever any 'right minded home owner would do', court hears
A burglary victim accused of causing the death of teenager who was fleeing on his stolen bike did what any 'reasonably-minded' homeowner would do in the circumstances, a jury has been told. Dean Barnes, 16, was killed in the early hours of January 24, 2023, when the bike he was riding as a pillion passenger on crashed into a car. Callum Duncan, 28, was woken around 6.30am on on January 24, 2024, by the noise of a gang of burglars breaking into the shed at his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The burglars, Barnes, alongside Alexander Riley, 21, and Adam Norman, 36, fled on his three off-road bikes and he immediately gave chase - reaching speeds of 36mph in his Golf GTi. In the chaotic chase that followed, Barnes was forced to abandon the Yamaha PW50 he was riding - commonly known as a 'Pee Wee'. He then got on the back of Norman's, a black a white Husqvarna, which then crashed into another car, causing the pair to be thrown off. Norman suffered extensive injuries but was able to leave the scene, however Barnes was fatally injured after also hitting a parked car. Duncan and Norman are both on trial at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court charged with causing death by dangerous driving, which they deny. Norman, who denies two further charges of causing death by driving while uninsured and causing death by driving while disqualified, and Riley, both of Brinnington, Stockport, have both admitted burglary. Addressing the jury for the final time, Daniel Harman, defending Duncan, described how the father-of-two had woken for work that morning to discover the burglary taking place, causing him to react. The chaotic chase ended in a collision which killed 16-year-old Dean Barnes (pictured), who was riding as a pillion passenger on one of the stolen bikes 'He does what any reasonable right minded home owner does in the those circumstances,' Mr Harman said. 'He goes to investigate. 'His motivations are different entirely from those of the burglars.' He said Duncan, 'an ongoing victim of crime' with 'his property at stake', was motivated by two things. 'Firstly, to spook the burglars enough to abandon their activity, allowing him to recover his property,' said Mr Harman. 'Second, to get a good enough view of where the bikes are going and have a better idea of those involved and where they are taking the bikes.' The jury heard Barnes died after Norman sped across a junction at a speed of 50 to 60mph, according to the female driver of the car he hit. Meanwhile, Duncan only chased the bikes for around 250m before coming to a stop at the junction. Mr Harman said it was Norman's 'stupidity and dangerous and reckless actions' that caused the collision and Dean's death - and Duncan was not to blame. But the prosecution maintain that Duncan's 'dangerous' driving also contributed to the fatal crash. Phil Barnes, prosecuting, previously told the jury that while he recognised they would have a 'degree of sympathy' for Duncan he'd known there was a 'risk' by pursuing the gang in his car. The jury have heard how he got within one second of Norman's stolen bike and after he launched a 'furious' pursuit, and his Golf was seen to 'bounce' across speed bumps in video footage played in court. And Phil Barnes accused Duncan of 'seeking retribution' and pursuing a 'personal vendetta', saying his actions had made a collision 'more likely'. If Norman was the 'main cause' of the crash, that did not mean Duncan wasn't 'a cause', he added. When giving evidence, Duncan said he'd only been 'curious' to see where the bikes were going and he denied the suggestion he would have 'rammed' them off the road. He said he didn't see the fatal collision, adding: 'I just heard a bang. I can't really explain how I felt, I've never felt that way since.' Duncan, who only admitted his involvement in the crash to police around four hours later, added that he had received 'threats' in the aftermath. The jury previously heard that Norman felt he had 'no option' but to cross the junction because he was worried Duncan was 'getting too close' to him and he was 'panicking'. 'I was in fear for my life,' he said. 'I would have been rammed.' The trial continues.
