“Selfish and reckless” drug driver jailed after killing cyclist while speeding and five times over cocaine limit, before “fleeing and weaving web of lies”

A hit-and-run driver found with both cocaine and cannabis in her blood has been sentenced for up to six years and eight months in prison after speeding and causing the death of a cyclist, and then “fleeing and weaving a web of lies”.

Factory worker David Burrows, 59, was riding his bike early morning on 01 December last year on Islands Brow, St Helens in Merseyside when he was hit by a beige Skoda Fabia driven by Anya Foster, 32, and was left injured on the road as she drove off from the scene.

He was discovered at just after 6am, just a few hours later after the collision by two caretakers driving on Island Brow, a single-lane, well-lit 30mph road, who noticed a hi-vis jacket with fluorescent strips in the gutter and a bike frame with front and rear lights lying on the pavement.

As they stopped their car on the side, they were shocked to find that it wasn’t just a jacket, but Mr Burrows lying unconscious by the side of the road. They immediately called an ambulance, and St Helens Star reports that a passing cyclist also stopped and was able to recognise Burrows.

Mr Burrows was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, however the doctors claimed that he had suffered “catastrophic injuries” including a fractured neck and brain haemorrhage, from which he was unable to recover and unfortunately passed away the same day.

Merseyside Police officers investigating the scene located debris from a Skoda Fabia and issued a public appeal for information on social media. An anonymous caller informed them about the location of the car and the driver, and at 2pm the same day, the officers attended Foster’s house in Parr, St Helens.

They found the Skoda Fabia, which was parked up close to the property to hide the damage to the windscreen and the front of the car. When asked if she had hit a cyclist, Foster told the police that she had stopped straight away and that Mr Burrows denied her offer to call an ambulance.

She also told the police that she had smoked a “spiff” of cannabis afterwards to “calm her nerves” and consumed cocaine days before. She also said that she would indulge in smoking marijuana a couple of times a week to ease her “severe back pain” and used cocaine once a month with her friends, but she could go months without using it and had not used it the night before the crash.

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However, roadside and subsequent blood tests confirmed the presence of both drugs in her system, with the level of cocaine – around 12 hours after the crash – being five times over the limit.

In the UK, cocaine is classified as an illegal drug with a 'zero tolerance approach' for drivers, with a threshold limit being 10 microgrammes per litre of blood to prevent for any accidental exposure. On the other hand, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC found in cannabis has a threshold limit of 2µg/L.

Foster was then taken to St Anne Street Police Station in Liverpool, where she was interviewed under caution at 10pm. She claimed that she was travelling to pick her sister up from work at 5:20am, which she said she did regularly, and had fully de-iced her window before leaving, allowing 10 minutes for the car to warm up.

She said that she first realised about the crash when she heard a loud bang, upon which she panicked and drove away, before calling to inform her sister that she would no longer be able to pick her up. She also claimed that Mr Burrows didn’t have his lights on and that she couldn’t see him.

“Rather than stop, you made off knowing full well what you had done and laid low. You were arrested, and the lies continued.”

However, CCTV footage showed that she did not properly de-ice her car, with her side windows obscured by frost, nor did she wait 10 minutes for the car to fully defrost, while additional footage from another CCTV camera showed that Mr Burrows had his reflective hi-vis jacket on, and that both his front and rear lights were on, with prosecutor Arthur Gibson noting: “He was clearly there to be seen.”

A police technician managed to retrieve her phone’s GPS data, which proved that she was not travelling at the 35mph speed that she had told officers about, but instead her speed was above 40mph at the point of collision.

Moreover, she had also not informed her sister about not picking her up. In fact, the court heard that she was actually travelling to meet a man and was running late.

Gibson added: “The police investigation revealed that most, if not all, that she told the police in her interview was simply untrue.”

Foster also took a “circuitous” route home, which the prosecution claimed was to avoid emergency vehicles potentially being on the route and spotting the substantial damage to her car. When she arrived home, she even phoned her brother asking about how to fix her damaged windscreen, and he urged her to call the police, but she did not.

Mr Gibson revealed that Foster has two unrelated previous convictions as a juvenile and had a clean driving licence at the time of the incident.

> Drug driver who smashed into cyclist on pavement while twice the legal limit for cannabis, flinging rider through the air and leaving him with life-changing injuries, handed six-month suspended sentence after motorist claimed he “faced impossible choice”

Mitigating on behalf of the defendant, and addressing her failure to stop, Foster’s barrister said: “This is a young woman who was in shock by the collision and acted in an abundance of panic in an alien set of circumstances.

Foster, mother of three children, told the Probation Service that she wished her life had been taken and not that of Mr Burrows, the court was told.

In a tribute issued following Mr Burrow’s death, his family said: “David was a kind and loving person who loved his family, friends, music, biking and Pilkington, where he was cherished.

“As a family, we are devastated and heartbroken by his loss. We are going to leave your chair empty for you on Christmas Day our Dave.

“David leaves behind his brothers Stephen and Paul, his niece Amelia, his sister-in-law Amy and Margie, and he cherished Sam and her cakes.

“The family would like to thank Pilkington NSG for their amazing and continued support to his family. Pilkington was David’s world and all of his work colleagues. He was amazing and so, so loved and will be forever missed. God bless you our brother xx.”

David Burrows (Merseyside Police)

The court heard an impact statement from Paul Burrows, Mr Burrows’ brother, who said: “How can something like this happen and David be left at the side of the road? The person responsible did not have the decency to stop. This is wholly unbelievable and unforgettable.”

Stephen Burrows, also his brother, wrote: “I cannot put it into words. My world has been turned upside down. I did not just lose my big brother, but my life-long best friend. We did everything together, even going to the supermarket. I will never be able to invite him around again for a cup of tea.

“I do not know if I will ever learn to live with his death. A piece of me died that day forever.”

His niece Amelia wrote: “I do not know how I am going to live without my Uncle David. I had 18 years of pure joy with him before he was ripped away.”

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Before sentencing, Judge Louise Brandon said: “On December 1 last year, lives were changed forever, when David Burrows lost his life while cycling to work on his bike.

“He did not make it to work, as you showed a callous disregard for his life when you left him on the road for others to find. David Burrows died aged 59 – a tragedy that words cannot describe.

“I have listened and read with heartfelt sympathy the family impact statements. Their grief is profound, and I cannot image how they must have felt today, sat in dignified silence listening to details of appalling driving by someone who should not have been behind the wheel that day.

“No sentence I can impose today can in any way ease the pain caused by David’s loss, and the impact on his family and friends.

“Their dignity is in stark contrast to your cowardly actions. Rather than stop, you made off knowing full well what you had done and laid low. You were arrested, and the lies continued.”

Foster was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison, of which she will serve no more than half before being released on licence, according to St Helens Star.

She was also disqualified from driving for 11 years and four months, after which she must pass an extended driving test before getting behind the wheel again.

DS Simon Duffy, from Merseyside Police’s serious collision investigation unit, added: “Foster’s reckless and selfish driving resulted in the death of an innocent man while he was riding to work, completely devastating his family.

“Not only did Foster cause the crash, but rather than stop at the scene to help David and face the consequences of her actions, she chose to flee and began to weave a web of lies.

“Our investigation proved that Foster attempted to mislead officers at multiple stages. We have worked tirelessly to establish the full facts, and Foster has now been held accountable for her actions.

“Our thoughts remain firmly with David’s family and friends as they continue to deal with the devastating outcome of this heartbreaking incident every day.

“The sentencing comes as Merseyside Police prepares for its annual drink and drug driving campaign, Operation Limit. The operation will see dedicated patrols focusing on removing selfish drivers from our roads who choose to drink alcohol or take drugs before getting behind the wheel.

“My message to those who choose to drive whilst under the influence is this. You are not only putting your own life and your own future at risk, but also the lives of innocent people. Is it really worth risking your own life and the lives others?”