Man sentenced after killing motorcyclist in Dinton

A man who killed a motorcyclist by deliberately driving into him during an incident in Dinton has been sentenced to a hospital order.

Paul Barrett, aged 42, of White Road, Mere, appeared at Winchester Crown Court today (31/1). He pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

On the evening of December 22, 2021, Barrett was driving a Volkswagen Touran along the B3089 Hindon Road in Dinton when he observed motorcyclist Ryan Brindley riding alone in the opposite direction.

Barrett turned into a side road and then continued in the opposite direction, following Ryan and accelerating at high speed to catch him before deliberately colliding with the rear of the bike, carrying it along the road and causing Ryan to fall off onto the ground. Ryan was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.  

Barrett was arrested and taken to hospital for assessment before being taken into police custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Childe, from the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “The killing of Ryan Brindley was an entirely random and unprovoked incident which has understandably caused shock and upset to the local community and all those who knew and loved Ryan.

“The dash cam footage shows Barrett driving up and down roads in Dinton before spotting Ryan riding his motorbike alone, and then turning his vehicle and reaching speeds of up to 80mph in a 30mph zone in order to catch up with him and knock him from his bike. We do not believe they were known to each other, or that there had been any previous interaction between the pair. It seems that Ryan was targeted entirely at random.

“I would like to pay tribute to Ryan’s family who have suffered such a devastating loss, and thank them for the support they have shown during the police investigation. Ryan was taken from them in the cruellest of circumstances and my thoughts remain with them at this extremely difficult time.

“I would also like to pay tribute to the investigation team who have worked diligently on this case to ensure justice was served as swiftly as possible.”

In a victim impact statement, Ryan’s partner said: “Ryan was a beautiful human being – he will be missed by so many. He was a deeply private man and although I understand there are many people who want to read and understand what happened, I would like to request that everybody, including the media, are respectful of Ryan’s remaining family and their privacy. I know that Ryan would be hating all the attention this case has brought.

“I would like to thank the police for their support and investigation all the way up to today. I want to thank the investigation team for being kind, gentle and understanding with us at every point, and I want to say thank you as we would not be here today if it wasn’t for the work of the investigation team.”