'Cowardly and cruel' - Police respond to sentencing of man who run down Darren Whitehouse 'killing him instantly'

Carlton Betts, 28, was found guilty of causing the death of Darren Whitehouse as he was stood talking to a friend on St Marks Road, Tipton, on February 27. 

Betts was in a stolen Nissan Infiniti when he lost control of the vehicle, mounting the pavement and striking Darren and his friend before driving off and leaving Darren lying in the road. 

Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Darren died at the scene, with a post-mortem finding that he had died 'almost instantly'.

Betts didn't stop at the scene following the incident, and instead dumped his car in the nearby Griffith Street, before returning to St Marks Road, however, he didn't make himself known and left.

An investigation was quickly launched, and Betts was identified as a suspect and swiftly arrested. 

In a post-mortem on Darren, it was ruled that he would have died 'almost instantly', with investigators later finding that Betts had also gotten involved in an altercation at a nearby shop after dumping the vehicle. 

In an emotional conference, held in the wake of Darren's death, his family said that they 'heard it all', and that 'nothing could be worse' than losing a son.

Speaking at the conference, Susan, Darren's mother, said: "I was in the house literally 30 yards from where it happened and I heard it all. 

"It was even harder because I had suffered two bereavements within a few months  but nothing can ever be worse than losing a son, especially in such awful circumstances."

Yesterday, on June 2, Betts was sentenced to 13 years and seven months in prison.

Now, West Midlands Police have described Betts' actions as 'cowardly and cruel' while also offering their condolences to Darren's family. 

Detective Paul Hughes, from the West Midlands Police serious collision investigation unit, said: "This sentence won’t bring Darren back, but it will help his family in some way to move forward.

"They never stopped fighting for justice for Darren and have patiently waited for this day and I thank them for that patience and belief in my team." 

The detective also made reference to Betts's failure to appear in court, with the trial continuing in his absence.

Detective Hughes said: "Despite knowing what he has put Darren’s family through, Betts still tried to avoid facing up to what he did, instead putting the family through more pain in actions described by the Judge as “cowardly and cruel.

"With Betts now behind bars, he can finally face justice for Darren’s death and the pain he has caused Darren’s family and friends."