THIS is the moment a driver inhales laughing gas behind the wheel before ploughing into an elderly cyclist and leaving him for dead.
Cain Byrne, 20, was seen holding an inflated balloon moments before he killed 81-year-old Graham Slinn earlier this year.
Byrne jumped a red light at speed and hit Slinn as he crossed the A57 near Todwick, , on April 4.
The cold-hearted driver from Chesterfield then sped off without stopping and was so intoxicated he didn’t even realise he had fatally hit a pedestrian.
Byrne left members of the public to help Slinn but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
Footage shown in court showed Byrne inhaling nitrous oxide gas from a yellow balloon several times while driving, before and after the collision.
Slinn was a retired builder who was a keen in a local church and a valued member of the community.
He was weeks away from celebrating his Diamond Wedding anniversary with his wife when he was killed.
During Byrne’s hearing, the courtroom heard he was a disqualified , driving without a license and insurance and using a false cloned number plate on the car.
South Yorkshire Police were able to identify Byrne as having connections to the car with a false registration plate and he was arrested before being released on bail.
Senior Officer in the case Chief Inspector Tom Woodward said: “We spent hours trawling footage to piece together the car’s movements, while others were working hard to find the car, which was later found burned out in the Derbyshire area.”
A breakthrough came when officers tracked the car from the collision to an an address several miles away.
CI Woodward added: “Our aim was to ensure he could never harm anyone in our communities again.”
Byrne was re-arrested on April 12 in Derbyshire and brought back to South Yorkshire custody where he was questioned by .
Byrne answered “no comment” throughout even when Slinn’s family tribute was read aloud to him.
However, he knew the evidence was stacked against him and pleaded guilty at a hearing in May.
The court also heard how Byrne had convictions for 27 previous offences, including dangerous , despite having no driving license.
Byrne was sentenced to 16 and a half years in after admitting causing death by dangerous driving and other offences.
CI Woodward said: “Our thoughts remain with Graham’s family and friends, and I hope today’s sentencing brings them some further closure knowing Byrne will now face a lengthy time in prison.
“We know those involved in criminality are likely to take greater risks and Byrne’s behaviour is a true reflection of this and why the work of our roads policing officers is greatly important.”
Sentencing Byrne, Judge Richardson KC said inhaling nitrous oxide was an “exceptionally dangerous act while driving”, and told Byrne that Slinn had “died of grievous injuries inflicted by your truly appalling driving”.
Richardson told Byrne: “You are a dangerous offender.
“The public must be protected from your deviant, dangerous, and ingrained criminal behaviour.”
In addition to Byrne’s 16 and a half year prison sentence, he was further banned from driving for 17 years and eight months.
