A family has been sentenced to prison after attempting to conceal a road crash that left a child seriously hurt.

The Leader reported earlier this year that three individuals had been convicted of conspiring to obstruct justice.

The convictions were secured against Kaylem Longhurst, 18, from Morgan Walk in Nantwich, Terry Follows, 43, from Clwyd Avenue in Shotton, and Shane Hunt, 39, also from Clwyd Avenue in Shotton.

A fourth individual, Cara Haran, 25, from Lucas Avenue in York, had entered a guilty plea before proceedings began.

All four were sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court on Tuesday morning, with Kaylem also receiving punishment for dangerous driving.

Ember-Jade Wong presented the prosecution case regarding the September 2024 incident, during which Longhurst had been riding an off-road motorcycle illegally through Shotton, where he was living at the time.

As he travelled along Central Drive, he struck six-year-old Arlo Buckley, who had been crossing the road.

Arlo, now eight years old, sustained serious injuries from being struck and dragged by the motorcycle, necessitating emergency treatment at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

Following the collision, Longhurst departed the scene and, according to the jury, his relatives assisted him in avoiding accountability for what occurred.

Court proceedings revealed that among the actions undertaken were the destruction of Longhurst’s clothing by burning and his transportation to York, along with multiple false statements provided to officers during the investigation.

Joseph Lees, representing Kaylem Longhurst, stated that the offences clearly warranted a custodial sentence but asked the court to consider suspending it. He explained that Longhurst was deeply remorseful for his conduct that day, acknowledging he had made the wrong choice by leaving rather than remaining with the injured child and accepting responsibility. He described how one poor decision led to another.

Oliver King, acting for Terry Follows, acknowledged that only one outcome was possible and that she understood this. He noted she harboured no unrealistic expectations. Her main factor in her favour was her previously clean record with no prior convictions, cautions or formal warnings. She was described as devoted to her children and grandchildren, which might help explain though not justify what motivated her involvement.

Simon Rogers, on behalf of Shane Hunt, indicated that making meaningful submissions on behalf of someone convicted after a trial presented challenges, though such submissions were nonetheless possible. He submitted that Shane Hunt had not been the orchestrator of the scheme.

Mr Rogers further noted there existed, in one respect, a misguided sense of allegiance.

Frank Dillon, representing Cara Haran, explained that at a certain point she experienced a change of heart, attended a police station the following day and provided an accurate account. He suggested that without her actions, successfully prosecuting the other individuals might not have been achievable. He characterised this as genuine regret for her participation, which she moved quickly to rectify.

Mr Justice Simon Mills observed that while the prosecution had not sought to attribute the child’s severe injuries directly to Kaylem Longhurst, since the causal chain had been severed at some point before the collision with Arlo, the 18-year-old bore responsibility in every moral sense for what transpired.

He continued that Longhurst had been operating an off-road bike dangerously through Shotton’s streets. The motorcycle was in a dangerous condition and he lacked insurance to ride it. He was aware he should not have been on the road yet proceeded to do everything possible to distance himself from these circumstances. The sole piece of his own evidence the judge said he accepted was that Longhurst believed he had killed a child, a statement he had made himself.

Mr Justice Mills described certain falsehoods presented during the trial as utterly ridiculous fabrications that the jury had entirely dismissed.

He stated that no sentence imposed could remedy the grave injustice inflicted upon the child, his family and those who cared for him.

Addressing the defendants, Mr Justice Mills explained he had substantially adjusted the starting point for Longhurst’s sentences to account for his being only 16 years old when the incident occurred.

The sentences were as follows:

Kaylem Longhurst received an overall term of 14 months in a young offenders institution along with a driving prohibition of two years and seven months.

Terry Follows was sentenced to 26 months in prison.

Shane Hunt received 21 months imprisonment.

Cara Haran was handed a nine-month prison term.

At the conclusion, Mr Justice Mills expressed his commendation to North Wales Police for the quality of evidence presented to the court and for the manner in which officers tracked down and brought those responsible before the courts.

He stated he had been most impressed and that the officers involved deserved the court’s thanks and recognition.

Following the hearing, Temporary Detective Inspector Katie Davies of the North Wales Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit commented that this had been a shocking and deeply upsetting incident in which a child suffered serious injuries while the person responsible elected to flee rather than stop and provide assistance.

She noted that particularly concerning was the fact that members of Longhurst’s own family then helped him attempt to evade justice, including assisting him in leaving the area and destroying evidence.

She expressed admiration for the courage shown by Arlo and his family, and thanked members of the public who came forward with information.

She stated that today’s sentence reflected the thorough work of officers, particularly Detective Constable Donna Vernon, and delivered a clear message that they would pursue not only those who committed offences but also anyone who assisted them in avoiding accountability.