A TEENAGER who killed a father-of-two while driving a JCB had raised the bucket blocking his view of the road, a court heard.

His solicitor said that Harry Shaw, 19, had suffered ‘a lapse of concentration’.

Shaw has pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving.

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He has been told his ‘most likely sentence’ will be a spell in prison after 42-year-old Craig Foster died when his motorcycle struck the JCB after it turned into his path in Blackburn Road, Simonstone.

Mr Foster, who was from Accrington and had been riding a Kawasaki ZX6R motorcycle, died at the scene.

Shaw was initially charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but in a hearing at Burnley Crown Court yesterday he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.

The court was told that Shaw, also of Blackburn Road, Simonstone, was turning right in the JCB between the Time Technology Park and Seaways Services at around 4.30pm on March 23 last year when the incident happened.

Mr Foster, who ran his own motor business in Hapton, was travelling from the Padiham direction to Clayton-le-Moors.

Peter Horgan, prosecuting, said discussions had taken place between the Crown Prosecution Service, police and Mr Foster’s wife Mel before agreeing to offer the charge of death by careless driving.

He said: “There is no suggestion of inappropriate or excessive speed.

“The defendant appropriately slowed down before making the right hand turn and indicated to show he was turning.

“Where he failed was having raised the bucket on the front of the JCB he didn’t have a view of the road in front of him as he turned right.”

Mr Horgan added that the decision to prosecute Shaw for causing death by careless driving rather than dangerous driving ‘hadn’t been taken lightly’ and that the circumstances ‘didn’t fall far short of causing death by dangerous driving’.

Anthony Cross, defending Shaw, said: “He indicated his guilt during the interview and during the course of the interview he offered his condolences to the family.

“He is incredibly remorseful for what has happened as a result of his lapse of concentration.”

Mr Foster, who had two children, Cory and Lola, was formerly a partner in Accrington Beetles and Vans.

He had also worked for several years on his father’s butcher’s stall in Accrington.

Shaw will be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on July 31.

He has been given an interim disqualification from driving and Judge Beverley Lunt warned him he faced a prison sentence.