'Cowardly' killer driver who hit OAP while high on laughing gas spends first year in jail
“He was a wonderful man. This should never have happened”
A 20-year-old who caused the death of a pensioner when speeding down the A57 after inhaling laughing gas has spent his first year in prison.
Graham Slinn, aged 81, died from injuries sustained in a collision on the A57, near Todwick, on April 4, 2025.
He was pushing his bike over the road at a traffic-light crossing, when a speeding vehicle ploughed into him - ending his life only a month before he was meant to celebrate his diamond wedding anniversary.
But, while Mr Slinn was lying fatally injured, driver Cain Byrne, of Redvers Buller Road, Chesterfield, drove away from the scene.
The 20-year-old was tracked down by police was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and driving with no insurance.
He later pleaded guilty to all charges at Sheffield Crown Court and was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison on July 21 - meaning he now has 10 years left to serve.
At the hearing last year, Byrne’s family filled out the public gallery, while Mr Slinn’s were invited to sit in the jury box.
The Recorder of Sheffield His Honour Judge Jeremy Richardson KC said: “No sentence in a case of this kind can ever reflect the value of the deceased.
“The life of Mr Slinn was of infinite value.”
Byrne was sentenced to 11 years and six months, with an extended licence of five years bringing the total sentence to 16 and a half years.
He also received a further driving disqualification for 17 years and eight months.
Mr Slinn’s daughter Nicola, and son Victor, described their father as ‘kind to his core’ and said his death was “100 per cent avoidable”.
In a statement shared by the family’s lawyers, Thompsons Solicitors, they said: “Mum and dad were supposed to be celebrating their diamond anniversary on June 5. Instead, she is trying to come to terms with the silence and emptiness of a home that’s lost its heart.
“To lose any loved one is a shock. But to lose someone so vibrant, so active, and to know their death was 100 per cent avoidable is doubly cruel.
“What isn’t wiped out - and can never disappear - is the love he gave. Every second of our lives, we knew he loved us deeply. He supported us in everything we did. He always had our backs.
“We are very grateful to the police for their efforts in securing justice, and we now hope that our dad’s killer will reflect deeply on the pain he’s caused. We also hope that no other family has to experience this kind of heartbreak.
“He was a wonderful man. This should never have happened.”