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04 Jul, 2025
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Man accused of causing Dean Barnes' death in crash as he gave chased burglars on his stolen motorbikes tells jury he was 'curious' to see where they were going
@Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A man accused of causing a teenager's death in a crash as he chased a trio of burglars on motorbikes stolen from his shed told a court he was 'curious' to see where they were being driven. Callum Duncan, 28, stored three motorbikes in a shed at his home in Reddish, Stockport, Minshull Street Crown Court has previously heard. On the morning of January 24, 2023, three burglars broke in, jurors have been told. Mr Duncan was woken by the noise and gave chase in his car as the trio fled on the stolen bikes, the court has heard. Dean Barnes, 16, who was riding as a pillion passenger on one of the bikes, died in a subsequent crash with a woman on her way to work, jurors have been told. Mr Duncan and Adam Norman, 36 - who was driving the stolen bike which Dean was on - are on trial accused of causing death by dangerous driving. They both deny the offence. Norman and another man, Alexander Riley, 21, have both admitted burglary. The jury has heard there is is 'no room for doubt' Dean was the other third burglar. On Friday afternoon, (July 4) Mr Duncan gave evidence in his defence. He said he lived at the property with his girlfriend and their two children. On January 24, 2023, he said he woke up as usual at around 6.30am, before hearing '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." The court previously Dean 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, the jury has heard. The two other bikes belonged to a family member and a friend. Mr Duncan gave chase in his Golf GTI, it was said. Shortly after realising they were being chased, Dean left the 'Pee Wee' behind and got on the back of the Husqvarna with Norman, the court has heard. The jury has been told Riley fled down Wharfdale Road. Mr Duncan was travelling at up to 36mph in a 20mph zone and was seen to 'bounce' over speed bumps, the court heard. In his evidence, he said he didn't know it had recently changed. At one point, Mr Duncan was said to be 'one second' behind Norman. Riley turned right onto Gorton Road, it was said. Prosecutors said Norman instead tried to ride straight, across two lanes of traffic, onto Ainsdale Grove, a residential road opposite. Mr Duncan said he stopped at the junction 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." Mr Duncan said he turned right before parking up on a side street. He said he then went to take the Husqvarna bike from the scene and took it to his mother's house nearby. He said he saw Norman stand up and walk away and assumed he was 'alright'. Around four hours later, Mr Duncan said he called the police, after he 'realised how bad it was'. "I rang the police to tell them what I did, I was part of it, part of what happened," he said. "I had no choice but to ring the police." In cross examination by Norman’s barrister, Paul Hodgkinson, he accepted he was ‘furious’ and wanted to ‘follow my property’. Norman, of no fixed abode but from Brinnington, Stockport, and Mr Duncan, of Salisbury Street in Reddish, both deny causing death by dangerous driving. Norman and Riley, of Blackberry Lane in Brinnington, Stockport, who is not on trial, have pleaded guilty to burglary, the jury was told. Proceeding
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