Understand
HGV driver given suspended sentence over death of teenage motorcyclist in Poole
Overview
An HGV driver has received a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to causing the death of 17-year-old motorcyclist Zebedee Watson in Poole. The incident occurred on 28 November 2025 at the Safety Drive Roundabout, where the teenager was stationary on his motorbike before being struck from behind by the lorry.
Key points
- Paul Graham, 56, pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving at Weymouth Magistrates' Court.
- District Judge Orla Austin sentenced Graham to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, alongside 100 hours of unpaid work.
- Dashcam footage showed the lorry approaching the roundabout, stopping briefly, and then accelerating into the teenager.
- Zebedee Watson was pronounced dead at the scene, prompting emotional tributes from his parents.
- An online petition calling for traffic lights at the roundabout has gathered more than 3,500 signatures following the fatal collision.