Swindon motorcyclist's family fight for justice after Snodshill crash

Luke Coram died after his Suzuki GSX-R750 crashed into a traffic island at Snodshill roundabout on Dorcan Way on August 16, 2015, his mother Tina Hyde’s birthday.

He flew off his bike and hit a lamppost, suffering a fatal chest injury.

But his family say their resolve to demand answers has been strengthened after hearing of a more recent crash at the same spot, which brought back distressing memories.

The latest inquest into the matter, held in 2017, concluded with a narrative verdict outlining that Luke had been driving at excessive speed, a BMW drove up to the rear of the bike after being overtaken, and there had been alcohol in his system.

Luke Coram, right, with Dave Newman

His relatives say Luke was a responsible motorcyclist who would not have mounted his bike while under the influence, and that the alcohol found in his system was from fermentation that had occurred between his death and the delayed post-mortem.

Luke’s mum Tina said the police did not do their job correctly.

Tina told the Adver: “We are still after justice and feel let down because, in our view, there have been failings in how the police investigated Luke’s death.

“It’s still very raw because he was my only child and I have no grandchildren.

“He had been riding bikes since he was three – we used to take him over Moredon on a 50cc automatic. 

Luke Coram (Image: Tina Hyde)

"With that car speeding up behind him, he could not have gone around the roundabout, he was not in the wrong.

“The police came to my house the next day and dropped a card through my letterbox. I was at home but didn’t hear a knock and the dog didn’t bark.

"Then Luke’s dad called and told me what happened. I was devastated.”

Tina claims the investigating officer took two hours to arrive at the scene from Gloucester as part of the Tri-Force unit which has since been disbanded, and that the team being spread across three counties made it difficult for her to find the right person to speak to for updates on the investigation.

She claims that police asked witnesses, including a taxi driver who stopped nearby and a carer who tried to save Luke, for their contact details but never recorded full statements from them, and dismissed one witness who did give a statement for being unreliable and inconsistent.

Luke Coram (left) and tributes left at Snodshill roundabout (right) (Image: Newsquest/Tina Hyde)

Tina said: “His story has remained consistent throughout and did not change – he still tells it exactly the same way now.

"He was walking his dog when he saw Luke overtake the car, which then dropped into a lower gear and went faster. Then he heard a loud bang.

“The carer did not smell any drink on Luke when she went to help him, I still speak to her about it now, she was at his inquest.

“The police carried out a thorough inspection of Luke’s bike but only did a visual check of the BMW when they impounded it for months. They arrested the driver but did not prosecute him and the case was closed.

“I used to trust the police but I don’t think they did their job correctly and should go over this case again.”

Wiltshire Police said it could not comment on the specifics of this case.