Thatcham biker Terry Fox criticised by judge over fatal high speed jaunt

A MOTORCYCLIST hit speeds of up to 125mph before a fatal crash.

Terry Fox was among a group of bikers speeding in a 30mph limit during their race through commuter villages and Berkshire suburbs when the tragedy took place.

Reading Crown Court heard the motorcycle enthusiasts agreed to meet in Bracknell on the evening of July 20, 2021 to go for a ride together.

Judge Sarah Campbell deemed there was "a clear plan" that the ride should be a high speed race in which the bikers could "show off their skills" to each other.

The group, which had met at a service station on London Road in Bracknell earlier that day, was travelling at dangerously high speeds – resulting in Ms Harrison, a woman in her 30s, losing control of her bike and crossing the central reservation.

She was hit by oncoming traffic and was pronounced dead at the scene.

One of the group, 43-year-old Neil Woodliffe from Berkshire Drive in Reading, filmed the race.

However, when police talked to the bikers on the southbound slip road off the A3095 in Bracknell shortly after the crash, Woodlife denied having any footage which could assist their investigation and went on to conceal his body-worn camera's SD card in a Nurofen tablets box in his office.

Forty-year-old Fox, of Ermin Street, Thatcham, was found guilty after trial of dangerous driving.

Judge Campbell said: "Although there is no evidence your driving directly caused the death of Ms Harrison, you bear in part some moral responsibility for her death as there was undoubtedly some encouragement by the way you all rode together.

"The implication is that there was an intention to break speed limits during the ride.

"Your attitude to the police was demonstrated by the WhatsApp message: "F**k the police', which Mr Fox wrote.

"Your actions reflected your words, before and after Ms Harrison's death."

Fox was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

In addition he was ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid community work.

Finally, Fox was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Woodliffe was convicted of dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

Judge Campbell said: "The footage bears watching as it shows the grossly excessive speeds – more than double the speed limit – at which you rode on suburban roads, treating them at the time like a race track.

"You told the police you did not have any footage when you knew full well that you did and when they went to your house later you persisted with your lie, only revealing the existence of the footage after your police interview.

"You have displayed arrogance in the proceedings and clearly took the view that your driving was safe and that you had done nothing wrong.

"It was entirely designed to protect yourself without a thought for Ms Harrison's family and friends who would have been desperate to understand what happened that day."

He was jailed for 16 months and banned from driving for a year.