Defective brakes amongst factors that led to death of Declan Gillan in motorcycle crash

Declan Gillan, 25, died after colliding with a tree in a motorcycle accident on the B3400, near Hurstbourne Priors, when driving home from work last September.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, an inquest at Winchester coroners court heard on Tuesday.

However, the bike that Declan was riding had a defective front suspension arm, which had been leaking “for some time” prior to the crash, as well as worn down rear brake pad which would have caused a “significant reduction to the brake capability” of the bike.

Coroner Jason Pegg cited further factors that contributed to the crash.

It was noted that Declan had been travelling at a “significant speed” on his way home.

An exact speed could not be determined, however dashcam footage from a vehicle he had earlier passed showed that he had at one point been riding “in excess” of 100mph.

Glare from the low-lying sun also caused issues.

The incident happened just after 5pm, as the sun was setting, and when tree surgeon Declan was heading home from a job in Whitchurch on September 17, last year.

He was riding a Suzuki Bandit GSF1200, which he had owned since 2015. And while it had been off-road for some of that time, the inquest heard, it had passed its MOT in on July 27, 2019.

Declan had been riding in convoy with colleagues, who planned to leave their Toyota Hilux at Declan’s house ahead of another job early the next morning.

“Coming up out of Hurstbourne Priors there’s a small hill and it goes around to the left,” the driver of the Hilux told the inquest. “And on that day I had my visor down. The sun was right in your face.”

Having initially been riding behind his colleagues, Declan later overtook them.

By the time they caught up in the Hilux, they discovered that Declan had crashed.

“There was probably about four or five cars in front and they all had their brake lights on,” Declan’s colleague said. “They all got out of their cars so I knew something was up.

“All I could see was his bike in the brambles and I could see his high-vis trousers poking out of the bush.”

Declan had been wearing a helmet and protective gear, but the inquest heard his helmet had fallen off in the crash.

His colleagues called the ambulance and performed CPR, but Declan was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem showed that he died having sustained “seriously catastrophic injuries” to his head, lungs, heart and liver as well as multiple bone fractures.

In his conclusion, Mr Pegg said acknowledged the various factors at play but made particular reference to the bike’s defects.

“The motorcycle did have a number of defects,” he said, “two of which I find to be of particular relevance to the collision.

“First of all there was the left-hand front suspension arm, which was leaking. And I find, having heard evidence from Constable Kerr, that the leak from that suspension arm had been in existence for some time prior to the collision.

“The second defect was the defective rear brake.”

The coroner noted that one of the brake pads was worn down to the metal, causing a “significant reduction to the brake capability of Declan’s motorcycle”.

He continued: “Declan Gillan was riding his motorcycle in a westerly direction on the B3400, near Hurstbourne Priors, Hampshire, on September 17, 2019, when he left the road on a left hand bend and collided with a tree.

“He was travelling at speed, on a motorcycle with a defective front suspension arm and defective breaks, and the low sun affected his visuals.

“All of this further contributed to the collision.”

In what he described as a “a severely tragic case” he recorded the inquest’s conclusion as a road traffic incident.

In the days following Declan's death tributes poured in from loved ones mourning to loss of their 'gentle giant'.

Josh Pritchard, who was Declan's boss at Groundlord, said: “He was a golden lad really. Nothing bad you could say about him. Genuinely just 100 per cent a solid gold boy.

“He’s going to be massively missed by everyone.”

Friends said he will be remembered as a man who loved his family, and was also a keen sportsman.

He had represented Andover Rugby Club for almost two decades, playing his first game for the All Blacks at just seven-years-old.

A club member echoed the words of Declan’s boss, adding: “You wouldn’t find anyone with a bad word to say about him. He was just a gentle giant.”

An official statement from a club spokesperson read: “It is my desperately sad task to announce the passing of our dear friend Declan Gillan yesterday in a road accident.

“Dec has been a huge part of our club and our lives since he first played for us eighteen years ago at just seven years old.

“A big man with a big heart and a big sense of humour, we are all devastated at his loss.”

Many more friends and loved ones took to social media to write tributes to Declan. More than 150 people shared posts on the day the news broke alone.

A number of them described their friend as the “most caring” and “kindest” person they knew.

One wrote: “You were a one in a million guy and there isn’t a person out there that can say a bad word against you. You were there for everyone, day or night, at good times and even more so the bad. We all love you so much the most amazing friend and in the truest meaning of the BFG.”

Others recalled Declan’s great sense of humour, with one person writing: “There was never a dull moment when you were around and I don’t think I ever laughed as much as I did when I was with you!”

Another person writing on social media added: “If the world was full of people like you, the world would be a better place.”