Anthony Whittaker jailed for killing two dads in drunken crash

Mar 13 2009 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

FOR Bryan Hardwick and David Weatherburn, Saturday, October 11, was supposed to be a happy family day out collecting conkers near their County Durham homes.

It was their misfortune that their paths crossed that of Anthony Whittaker.

Immature, reckless and, on that afternoon, drunk, he should never have been behind the wheel of a car. He had never passed a driving test. Nor, at the age of 26, had he ever held down a job.

But after several hours of crime and horrendous driving of his girlfriend’s Rover 45, Whittaker attempted one last suicidal manoeuvre.

It ended with him ploughing into Mr Hardwick, his two-year-old son Liam, and Mr Weatherburn.

Mr Hardwick, who was flung 100 feet into the air, was killed instantly and Mr Wetherburn was taken to hospital where he died a week later.

Liam was seriously injured when he was knocked from his pushchair by the force of the collision.

Shaun Dodds, prosecuting at Durham Crown Court, said a trail of conkers were found on the roadside amongst the carnage, and 45 cans of Fosters lager were found in the car. Whittaker had fled.

Whittaker had a string of motoring convictions, including one for careless driving when he demolished a bus shelter, and another for dangerous driving when he led police on a high street chase through his home estate.

The court was told that on the afternoon of October 11 last year witnesses reported seeing the Rover 45 driving at high speeds through a main shopping street in Shildon, near Bishop Auckland.