Aiden Allen: "Amazing" Doncaster dad killed in horror crash by brother Joshua Rafferty who was high on drugs

“Amazing” dad-of-two Aiden Allen was a front-seat passenger when the car he was travelling in was involved in a crash on Goodison Boulevard in the Cantley area of Doncaster, causing him to suffer a traumatic brain injury.

Mr Allen’s half-brother, Joshua Rafferty, then aged 19, was the driver who lost control of the stolen Ford Mondeo.

It ploughed into a lamppost and then a line of trees shortly after 11pm on July 28, 2024.

Mr Allen, aged 31, could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene, Sheffield Crown Court heard.

In the moments before the horror crash, Rafferty was driving at speeds of 90 miles per hour (mph) on Goodison Boulevard, which is subject to a 30mph limit.

The collision occurred as Rafferty came across what prosecutor Richard Sheldon described “what was easily a negotiable bend” - as he travelled towards Packington Road - “but at those speeds was not.”

Mr Sheldon said the impact of the collision was so “violent” the front side wheel was severed, and numerous residents in the area reported being awoken by the sound of the impact.

Seconds ealier, Rafferty had narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a car when he was travelling on the wrong side of the road down Church Lane.

But after “swerving” to avoid the other vehicle, Rafferty then proceeded to return to the “wrong side of the road” and continued on to the scene of the crash, said Mr Sheldon.

He continued: “The defendant was assisted by the emergency services, and admitted ingesting both alcohol and cocaine, and was found by the emergency services with six wraps of cocaine and 21 wraps of heroin tucked into his sock.”

A blood test later revealed Rafferty to have a cocktail of drugs in his system, including six times the “legal limit” for a cocaine breakdown and three times the legal limit for MDMA.

Mr Sheldon said Rafferty, now aged 20, carried out another dangerous driving spree less than a month later at around 4.30pm on August 21, a matter of hours before his police interview concerning the fatal crash, during which he answered “no comment” to all questions.

This time driving an Audi vehicle, Rafferty sped through Cantley once again, travelling at around 80mph, as police pursued him with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

The chase began as Rafferty drove towards Bawtry Road, said Mr Sheldon, adding that Rafferty proceeded to drive the wrong way down a dual carriageway in a bid to escape officers, reaching a maximum speed of 87mph as he did so.

Officers deemed it too dangerous to continue pursuing Rafferty, who brought the pursuit to an end when he crashed and was arrested at the scene.

“He said: ‘That’s so bad, like I give a f***, I’m going to prison for killing my brother you daft c***s’,” Mr Sheldon told the court, adding that Rafferty subsequently refused to provide a sample to test his blood alcohol and drug levels.

Ed Moss, defending, suggested the words used by Rafferty at the time of his arrest, while unpleasant, were indicative of someone who was “undoubtedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, severe depression and acute grief reaction.”

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The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told Mr Moss that although Raffery’s comments were “vulgar and offensive,” his sentence would not be enhanced as a consequence.

Rafferty, previously of Ansten Crescent, Cantley, Doncaster, pleaded guilty to a string of charges including causing death by dangerous driving, dangerous driving, possessing cocaine and heroin, driving without insurance and a licence and failure to provide a specimen at an earlier hearing.

Continuing in his mitigation, Mr Moss said Rafferty cannot give a "logical explanation for his behaviour” on the night of the fatal crash.

Mr Moss continued: “He will never, ever be able to forgive himself. His brother had children, and he will be aware - being a dad himself - how the impact spreads far and wide.”

He told the court that Rafferty, who has a young daughter, continues to be supported by his family, but knows the “anguish and pain” the death of his brother has caused, and does not ask for their forgiveness.

“He actually wants to be punished, but I ask your Lordship not to go too hard,” said Mr Moss, adding that Rafferty’s guilty pleas and remorse are probably his best points of mitigation.

Adjourning sentence until Monday morning (April 7, 2025), Judge Richardson told Rafferty: “This was deplorable driving, and that’s being polite. You killed your half-brother, and a while later - not very long later - you drove equally badly.”

He remanded Rafferty into custody until then.

In a statement released by South Yorkshire Police in July 2024, Mr Allen’s family described him as "kind, caring and extremely loyal" and said his death had left them “very broken.”

They described him as a "loved son, brother and uncle and a proud dad.”

“The boys were his world and he was theirs, he was so proud of them both and spent most weekends taking them to football and was so proud of their achievements," they said.

“As his brothers and sisters we feel like we’re missing the middle piece of the five-piece puzzle."

“Aiden was an amazing father and a kind, caring and extremely loyal member of a family who are now very broken.

"We will forever miss him and cherish the time we had with him.”