Former Derbyshire Police detective chief inspector Michael Cooper has pleaded guilty to causing the death of educational psychologist James Bane by dangerous driving, in a collision that also left a woman with serious injuries while he was on duty in an unmarked police car.
A former senior Derbyshire Police officer has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving after he struck and killed pedestrian James Bane, 50, in Etwall, Derbyshire, in September 2021. Michael Cooper, 54, had previously denied the charge but changed his plea ahead of his trial at Nottingham Crown Court. He also admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving to a woman in her 30s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in the same incident. Cooper has since retired from Derbyshire Police, and will be sentenced at the same court on 17 July.
What Happened
Mr Bane, a father of two, died from injuries to his pelvis after being struck by an unmarked police car being driven by Cooper, who was on duty at the time. An inquest held in October 2021 heard details of how the collision unfolded. Opening the inquest, Derbyshire Area Coroner Peter Nieto told Derby Coroner’s Court: “The incident involved an unmarked police vehicle which was being driven by an on-duty Derbyshire police officer along Egginton Road. It collided with an unattended stationary car, and then continued travelling and then collided with Mr Bane, trapping him between the police vehicle and his own vehicle, sadly causing what proved to be fatal injuries.”
The female victim injured in the same collision was left “deeply traumatised” with psychological injuries, according to an earlier court hearing, at which District Judge Sunil Khanna granted a prosecution application preventing publication of her name and address.
Guilty Plea Avoids Trial
Cooper’s decision to change his plea means witnesses, including relatives of both victims, will not be required to give evidence in court. A large number of family members from both sides attended the brief hearing, sitting in the public gallery as Cooper, dressed in a dark suit and tie, listened from the dock.
His barrister, Adrian Keeling KC, told the court Cooper had pleaded guilty on the basis that he “accepted it was dangerous for him to drive in the context of his medical history,” adding: “That is a basis the prosecution accepts.” Keeling also raised personal circumstances relevant to sentencing, telling the court that Cooper’s son, who is in his early twenties, has OCD and that Cooper “assists him on a day-to-day basis,” and that Cooper’s mother is unwell and could be affected should he be jailed.
Mr Justice Sweeting gave no indication of the sentence he might impose, but did order an interim six-month driving ban, which he said would count towards any longer disqualification handed down at sentencing. Cooper remains on bail under existing conditions until then. Causing death by dangerous driving carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under current law in England and Wales, though the eventual sentence will depend on the specific circumstances of the offence.
How the Case Came to Court
The prosecution followed an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which announced in April last year that Cooper had been charged. In a statement, the watchdog said: “The charges relate to a fatal road traffic collision in Egginton Road, Etwall, Derbyshire, at around noon on September 28 2021. We began our investigation after receiving a mandatory referral from Derbyshire Constabulary. At the end of our investigation we sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges.” The watchdog has welcomed the guilty plea, which followed directly from that referral and file of evidence.
Tributes to James Bane
Mr Bane was remembered as a widely respected figure in his field. A tribute published on the British Psychological Society’s website described him as an “exceptionally well liked and talented psychologist, with a unique sense of humour,” while colleagues said his work had supported children, families and schools across the region for many years.
