A 40-year-old man from Rye, East Sussex, has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison after crashing his motorbike into two teenage girls in Southampton while under the influence of alcohol and cannabis.
Nathan Cooper, of Cooper Road, had been riding his off-road motorcycle recklessly around Test Park Sports Ground in Millbrook on 23 June 2024. Six teenage girls were socialising in the park when Cooper sped toward them, narrowly swerving past the group before colliding with two of the girls.
A 13-year-old girl was left with life-threatening injuries and remains in recovery, while a 14-year-old sustained minor injuries. Witnesses said Cooper’s bike passed so close that they could “feel the wind” from it. One girl reportedly shouted at him to stop, but he continued toward the group.
Police Staff Investigator Mark Furse described the incident as terrifying, saying: “No sensible person would behave this way and it is a miracle nobody was killed.”
Tests confirmed Cooper was over the legal drink drive limit and above the specified limit for cannabis at the time of the crash. CCTV footage and partial phone recordings captured him racing around the park at dangerous speeds.
Cooper pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drink driving, drug driving, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His motorcycle has been seized and will be destroyed.
The family of the 13-year-old victim expressed their gratitude to emergency services, including the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and Southampton General Hospital staff, for saving and continuing to care for their daughter. They added that while the sentence was welcome, the trauma and life-changing impact of the incident cannot be fully measured by prison time.
