A 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to causing the death of Bradford mum Amber Deakin by dangerous driving following a crash in Baildon during a police pursuit. Jordan Spalding, of Wharncliffe Crescent, Bradford, and 28-year-old Shakeel Ahmed, of Moresby Road, Bradford, both made their first appearance before the city’s crown court having been charged with causing the 18-year-old’s death by dangerous driving . The teenager, who was described by her best friend as a “beautiful angel”, died after the Vauxhall Vectra Spalding was driving crashed on Baildon Road on January 3, 2023.
Reports at the time suggested she was one of six people in the vehicle when it overturned and crashed. During a hearing on Thursday before the Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Rose Spalding entered his guilty plea to the charge when it was put to him by the court clerk. Ahmed was not asked to enter his plea to the same allegation.
Judge Rose was told that Spalding was fully aware that a substantial custodial sentence was inevitable, but the court heard that he cannot be sentenced until the case against his co-accused is resolved. Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here. The judge fixed a potential trial for Ahmed on April 4 next year.
Judge Rose told Spalding that he was now disqualified from driving with immediate effect and repeated that there would be no alternative to a substantial sentence of imprisonment for what he had done. Both defenda.