Blackpool man admits killing avid motorcyclist Ian 'Joe' Hall on quiet country road in Knott End
A car driver has pleaded guilty to killing a veteran motorcyclist in a smash on a quiet country road.
Sola Silas appeared before a judge in Preston this week to admit causing the death of 73-year-old Ian “Joe” Hall by dangerous driving.
The 40-year-old motorist from Blackpool had initially denied the offence and was scheduled to go on trial before a jury later this year with the hearing expected to last up to three days.
But Silas was brought before Judge Graham Knowles KC on Wednesday to be re-arraigned and entered a guilty plea.
He is expected to be sentenced on August 13. But the judge warned him he could be facing a jail sentence for his actions on the day of the crash.
He was also banned from driving immediately pending the hearing.
Mr Hall, said to be an “avid” motorcyclist, was critically injured in October 2023 when his Yamaha FZS machine was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Corsa near Knott End.
Silas, of Warbreck Drive, Blackpool, was initially arrested and charged with causing serious injury by careless driving.
Mr Hall, known to family and friends as Joe, died five days later in hospital and the charge against Silas was upgraded to causing death by dangerous driving.
The collision happened on the B5270 Lancaster Road at Knott End. After the crash a section of the road was closed for several hours between Hackensall Road and Pilling Lane for investigation work to be carried out.
In a rearranged hearing this week relatives of Mr Hall were not present, but the court was told they had indicated they would like to attend. Judge Knowles heard the case had been brought forward at the request of one of the barristers involved.
Judge Knowles asked if the family had been informed of the new hearing date and demanded they should be consulted before the sentence hearing in August to ensure they could attend.
He told the prosecution that he was “extremely concerned” that the case had been brought forward to this week, possibly without the relatives knowing. “No case like this should be moved without the knowledge of the family of the deceased,” he said.
“He (Silas) won’t be sentenced without them being here. He will be sentenced on August 13 or some other date if that is not convenient to the family of the man who died.”
In court Silas was described as “a man of good character” by his defence barrister Rachel Woods. He had a clean driving licence at the time of the crash.
Judge Knowles adjourned the hearing until August for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
He allowed Silas to remain on bail until then but told him: “It doesn’t mean that I am ruling out prison as the punishment for this offence. It is for the judge on the day to decide.”
The conditions of his bail included surrendering his passport to police and also residing at a named address.
Judge Knowles added: “I disqualify you now from driving. If you were to drive you would be committing an offence which in itself carries a prison sentence and you would lose your bail.”