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A driver has been acquitted of murder in the tragic death of a young mother knocked from an electric motorbike last year, but has admitted to causing her death and seriously injuring her boyfriend by dangerous driving. Keaton Muldoon, 23, of Tuckers Lane, Mansfield, was found not guilty of murdering 25-year-old Alana Armstrong and cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to her boyfriend, Jordan Newton-Kay, by a jury at Derby Crown Court on Thursday.
The fatal incident occurred on the evening of November 26, 2024, on Batley Lane, Pleasley, Derbyshire. Ms. Armstrong, a mother-of-one, died at the scene. Her boyfriend, Jordan Newton-Kay, sustained severe injuries, leading to the amputation of his right leg 15cm above the knee.
Muldoon had pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving before his trial commenced in May. His sentencing date has not yet been fixed by the court.
During the trial, the jury heard that Muldoon, identified as a drug dealer, was driving a Land Rover Discovery when the collision occurred. He told the court on Tuesday that he "did not know" he had hit anyone, believing he had merely overtaken Mr. Newton-Kay's bike at a passing point.
The prosecution, however, had alleged that Muldoon "pursued" the couple and a friend on another electric bike after they briefly stopped near his 4x4 in a lay-by on Sampsons Lane, Pleasley. Prosecutors claimed Muldoon made five attempts to hit the bike, causing Ms. Armstrong to go "over the whole car" and Mr. Newton-Kay to be "under the car."
Muldoon, who was a father to a newborn baby at the time of the collision, testified that he feared he was going to be robbed but denied "chasing" the Sur-Ron off-road bike for over a mile from the lay-by. He also admitted to lying to the police initially, telling them his uncle had possession of the Land Rover at the time, out of fear due to the murder investigation.
"My head was all over, I didn’t know what to think," Muldoon told the jury. "I knew I wasn’t going to see my children for a bit. I just had a newborn baby. I promised I would always be there."
Evidence presented during the trial also revealed that Ms. Armstrong "sometimes" supplied cannabis, and the Sur-Ron e-bike, which is not legal for road use, was described as a "drug-dealing type" bike. Mr. Newton-Kay, who had been in a four-year relationship with Ms. Armstrong, testified that Ms. Armstrong had hugged him "very tight" on the back of the bike as they were allegedly pursued.
While Muldoon has been cleared of the more serious murder charge, his admissions of dangerous driving mean he still faces significant penalties for the devastating consequences of the collision that claimed a life and forever altered another. The case now awaits his sentencing, where the full weight of his admitted culpability will be determined.
