Age: 17
Sex: male
Date: 19 Sep 2021
Place: B4385 Brampton Road, Bishops Castle, Shropshire
Dylan Price was found injured on the B4385 Brampton Road at Bishop's Castle in the early hours of Sunday 19 September 2021.
It was thought he had been hit by a car.
It was heard that someone had seen him cross the road at 2.30am but he wasn't found until 4.45am. He had been on his way home from a party at the time.
He was killed the day before his 18th birthday.
His post-mortem examination showed that he had suffered from a serious head injury and that his injuries were consistent with a collision with a vehicle.
It was heard that his injuries were consistent with having been hit by a vehicle but that his injuries were so bad that his family were advised not to see him.
A 42-year-old man from Bishops Castle was initially arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in October 2021, but was later released, with police confirming that they were satisfied he had not been involved and on 19 September 2023 the police confirmed that no one had been charged to date over the incident.
The police appealed for anyone that had driven or walked along Brampton Road between 1am and 5.30am on Sunday 19 September 2021 to contact them.
It was heard that Dylan Price had earlier in the day, 18 September 2021, played rugby with his father after which he had gone on to the King's Head pub and the Crown and Anchor Vaults pubs, before going off to a house party in Bishop's Castle, then later to another house party just over a mile away. He was last seen by a friend at the party between 2.30am and 3am.
The case was noted for the family of Dylan Price having been targeted online with malicious communications by a 61-year-old man. He was said to have trolled Dylan Price's family by sending them messages under a false name in July 2022 claiming to have been responsible for his death. However, it was determined that his claims were false.
The man was arrested on 1 September 2022 on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and on suspicion of sending malicious communications.
He was cleared of causing death by dangerous driving but convicted of sending malicious communications in November 2022 after pleading guilty, and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment. After his conviction he later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, but his application was rejected.
He was also banned from contacting Dylan Price's parents for 10 years.
It was heard that the man had told the family that he and another man had punched Dylan Price and then moved him to the side of the road, essentially stating that they physically went to kill him.
He had initially told the family that he had been responsible for Dylan Price's death, but then said that it had been another man, and then later that Dylan Price had been involved in a fight at a pub and then moved to the side of the road.
However, his IP was later traced and he was arrested.
It was heard that he had targeted the family for his own entertainment, and that he told the police that he had been:
He also said that he couldn't remember committing the offences as he had been drunk.
Dylan Price's family said:
Dylan Price's family noted that it wasn't only their time he had wasted, but the police's time, noting that he had had them on a string for so long. Dylan Price's sister said:
The police said:
It was noted that Dylan Price's mother had been herself terminally ill at the time the messages were sent.
When the judge passed sentence on him, he said:
