A grandfather who left the pub smiling was struck and killed by a teen driving a car while inhaling laughing gas.
Edward Hickey, known as Ted, was walking along South Road in Waterloo, Merseyside, after an afternoon with his nephew, 59, when a car mounted the pavement and ploughed into the pair.
Thomas Gibson, then 18, lost control of the vehicle while inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon on October 29, 2022.
A witness to the crash said they saw Gibson with a yellow balloon in his hands moments before his car hit Mr Hickey.
He was said to have dropped it as he turned the corner, losing control as he attempted to pick it up, the court heard.
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The now 20-year-old was sentenced yesterday to four-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.
Mr Hickey and his nephew Steven Hickey left the pub after watching Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds United before stopping to discuss how the 79-year-old would get home.
A witness said Mr Hickey, who had recently lost his wife of 50 years to dementia, appeared ‘happy, with a smile on his face’ moments before the collision.
Steven then recalls ‘hearing a revving engine’ and seeing Gibson’s Ford Fiesta speeding towards them, Liverpool Echo reports.
The prosecution described how Mr Hickey was hit head-on, while his nephew was struck and thrown to the side.
The car had been ‘travelling far in excess’ of 20mph and 30mph speed limits before the crash, the court heard.
Bystanders then rushed towards the car after the collision, giving CPR to the pensioner.
Police officers later found nitrous oxide canisters and balloons hidden in a plant pot.
CCTV showed Gibson purchasing balloons from a local shop minutes before he fatally struck the grandad.
The teen appeared ‘glazed and spaced out’ afterwards, and later failed an impairment test.
He told officers after his arrest: ‘I was just coming round there, and as I came round there the whole car’s wheels kept spinning and it wouldn’t stop.’
Nephew Steven told the court in a statement that he had planned to take his uncle to Ireland to celebrate his 80th birthday.
He said: ‘I’ve always considered Ted to be like a father for me. On the night he died, we met up at the Old Bank pub to watch the match. He had his usual pint of Guinness.
‘When the doctors came over to talk to me, they were accompanied by the police. I knew Ted hadn’t made it. I feel guilty that I survived through luck, and that I’m living on borrowed time.’
Mr Hickey’s granddaughter Louis Hickey said in her statement: ‘Ted had a huge impact on my life. He was always there when I needed him. Ted always had a great sense of humour and always made me laugh.
‘The night I found out that Ted had passed away was possibly one of the worst nights of my life. I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it. I’ll never see my Ted again, and I’m heartbroken.
‘I get scared knowing I’m near a bus stop or around loud cars. I just think of what Ted went through that fateful day. This tragedy has left a hole in my life.’
Gibson’s defence lawyer, Damian Nolan, said the 20-year-old was of ‘previous positive good character,’ but he added that ‘nothing that I am about to say on behalf of Mr Gibson is an attempt at seeking to minimise or undermine the impact that this tragic death has had upon Ted and his family.’
He said Gibson had turned 18 four weeks prior, and at age 20, he is still ‘immature.’
Judge Anil Murray described how Mr Hickey’s life was cut short just as he was ‘taking steps to rebuild his life.’
He addressed Gibson, saying: ‘You are described in references as being a bright and able young person. You lost control of your car because you were taking nitrous oxide while you were driving and mounted the pavement, causing the collision.
‘Ted Hickey had been through a difficult time. He was loved by his friends, family and neighbours. He was making plans to celebrate Christmas and his 80th birthday.
‘You had passed your driving test about three weeks earlier. You accept going to the beach earlier and taking nitrous oxide. You went to the shop to buy balloons for that purpose, and now accept that you were taking nitrous oxide in the car. They had no chance of getting out of the way. You hit him square on. You were travelling well in excess of the limit.
‘You are an intelligent person. You are in work. There has been a delay here. You are described as polite and respectful. You say that you are devastated by your behaviour and deeply remorseful. You have stopped using substances, including alcohol.
‘I am afraid that there are offences which are so serious that there is no alternative to immediate imprisonment. This is one of them, and you know that.’
Gibson was also banned from driving for seven years and three months.
He will need to pass an extended retest before being allowed to drive again.
Detective Sergeant Andy Roper of Merseyside Police hopes the sentence will highlight ‘the real dangers of nitrous oxide when you are intending to drive’.
He added: ‘This drug, which has been a banned class C drug since November 2023, is becoming increasingly popular, and we are seeing the use of it as a trending factor in incidents.
‘Its effects can have a huge impact on the ability of a person to drive, with experts in this case confirming it is most likely that nitrous oxide causes a similar level of dissociative impairment as ketamine.
‘We will do everything possible to deal with anyone found misusing the privilege of being able to drive. As a relatively new trend, nitrous oxide is often not seen to pose the same dangers as other recreational drugs, but this case shows the stark reality.’
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