‘Prolific’ motorbike thief who killed woman, 26, in horror smash as she walked on her lunch break should have been recalled to prison after breaking his licence conditions – as her family slam probation failures

A heartbroken family say they have been ‘failed’ by the Probation Service after hearing how a ‘prolific’ motorbike thief killed their daughter in a crash whilst avoiding the police on a stolen bike. 

Rebecca Cooke, 26, had been walking near her home on Court Hey Road in Huyton, Merseyside, on March 1, 2021 when she was hit by Daniel King who was speeding on the unroadworthy bike. 

Rebecca would later die from her injuries two days later at the Walton Centre after she was declared brain dead.

King, 28, was speeding before he turned a corner and swerved onto the pavement to avoid an oncoming police car – crashing into Rebecca who suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries after being thrown into a brick wall.

At a two-day inquest into Rebecca’s death, the court heard her injuries were ‘unsurvivable’ and that there had been concerns over a ‘lack of engagement’ between King and the probation service.

According to the then interchange manager for Merseyside CRC (Community Rehabilitation Company) Amanda Hamilton, there ‘should’ve been some contact’ with King and the probation service. 

She claimed there hadn’t been due to a number of factors including staff sickness. 

King had 14 previous convictions for 28 offences and at the time had a warrant out for his arrest for driving whilst disqualified in North Wales and failing to appear before crown court in Preston 

He admitted death by dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified and was jailed for eight years and three months and banned from driving for eight years.

Following the inquest, the heartbroken family said in a statement that Rebecca had been failed by the probation system. 

A statement from the family read: ‘It was bad enough to lose Rebecca the way we did, but to then find out that the Probation Service had failed in supervising Daniel King and could have prevented it from happening, was utter disbelief.

‘We were not prepared for what came out of the Serious Offence Review and to be told by the head of the North Liverpool Probation Service just how bad the failings were. We believe that Rebecca’s death was a direct and foreseeable consequence of all the failings made by Daniel King’s probation officer and the Probation Service managers.’

They also stated that King was a ‘prolific offender’, adding: ‘His last conviction was for stealing a motor vehicle, driving at speeds of more than 100mph, and driving up a dual carriageway the wrong way to evade the police. Was this not a big red flag?

‘Rebecca paid the price because the Merseyside Community Rehabilitation Centre and the Probation Service had failed her. They had numerous opportunities to have Daniel King recalled to prison but over and over again they failed to act. He had reoffended and broken his licence conditions so many times.

‘If the Probation Service had done its job, he would have been back in prison long before he killed Rebecca and our daughter would still be with us. Her death should not have happened, and her life was cruelly taken away from her while on a simple walk in her lunch break. She suffered horrific injuries, and we have to live with the loss of our beloved daughter and with those lasting images of her in hospital.’

The family added: ‘We are angry and frustrated by the Probation Service. All its failings only came to light because an innocent person was killed and there was a serious investigation review. 

‘How many more offenders are out there not being monitored properly by the Probation Service and are a danger to the public? The Probation Service needs to make sure that this never happens again to another innocent person.’

Her grieving mother added: ‘We as Rebecca’s parents will never have the joy of having grandchildren. He has destroyed all our dreams.’

Senior coroner Julie Goulding confirmed Rebecca died as result of severe head injuries as a result of a road traffic collision.

In a narrative conclusion, the coroner said Ms Cooke was the ‘innocent victim’, adding: ‘Rebecca was hit by a motorcycle, being driven at high speed and catastrophically injured. 

‘As a direct consequence of the injuries she sustained, tragically Rebecca died in hospital two days after the collision.’