Matthew Rycroft – Leeds

FATHER JAILED FOR TEN YEARS AFTER SON WAS KILLED CROSSING M62

Matthew Rycroft was sentenced to ten years in prison after his 12-year-old son Callum died while trying to cross the M62. The father had been drinking, crashed their car and then led the boy along the motorway instead of waiting for help.

Rycroft admitted manslaughter, dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen. He was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on 6 November 2023. He was also disqualified from driving for nine years and seven months. The case centred on his responsibility for Callum’s safety after the first crash.

On 5 August 2023, father and son had visited relatives in Huddersfield. Rycroft drank lager and shots at a cricket club. His father urged him not to drive back to Leeds, but he left with Callum in an Audi Q5.

Another motorist saw the car swerving between lanes before it struck a barrier. The Audi overturned on the slip road at Hartshead Moor services. Both Rycroft and Callum got out, but the danger did not end with their escape from the vehicle.

CCTV showed them walking along the hard shoulder, with Callum nearest the traffic. They continued for about 15 minutes. Rycroft crossed towards the central reservation and his son followed him.

They then attempted to cross back. Rycroft reached the hard shoulder and kept walking without looking back. Callum was hit by a passing car and died at the scene.

Firefighters later found Rycroft hiding in bushes. The prosecution told the court that he did not mention Callum or ask where he was. He was taken to hospital, where he again did not ask about his son, although he became upset when told the boy had died.

Judge Guy Kearl KC found that Rycroft had repeatedly missed opportunities to wait for assistance. He had exposed Callum to extreme danger and continued trying to get away despite knowing the boy was no longer with him.

Callum’s mother, Claire Bancroft, told the court that her son had trusted his father to keep him safe and bring him home. His death had affected everyone who knew him. Rycroft’s barrister said he would have to live with the consequences for the rest of his life.

A separate compensation dispute followed. In November 2024, a tribunal overturned decisions refusing Claire access to criminal-injuries compensation. The authority had initially argued that Callum’s death did not involve violence for the purposes of its scheme.

The successful challenge established her eligibility for compensation, with the amount still to be agreed at that stage. Claire had sought help with funeral costs and support for the family. The tribunal decision concerned her compensation application and did not change Rycroft’s criminal sentence.