Criticism after two bikers killed

The Caernarfon inquest was told lessons needed to be learned

A group of motorcyclists have been criticised after claims their fast riding contributed to a collision in Gwynedd which left two bikers dead.

Jaroslaw Owczarek, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, and Stephen Rowley, of Stoke-on-Trent, riding in separate groups, died after a head-on crash.

Deputy coroner Nicola Jones said the most likely reason was excessive speed or driver error from Mr Rowley.

She recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest in Caernarfon.

The two men died in the collition between Bala and Trawsfynydd last November.

Ms Jones said lessons needed to be learned as there had been many motorbike deaths on the roads of north Wales.

She said the accident was not a unique set of circumstances and the tragic thing was that Mr Owczarek could do nothing to prevent the accident in which he died.

She was told that Mr Owczarek was riding his new Honda Goldwing bike and his brother Maciej was following behind on his motorbike and his girlfriend was a pillion passenger.

Maciej Owczarek said they were riding quite slowly because they wanted to see the scenery.

'Crazy fashion'

The inquest was told that a group of bikers from Stoke-on-Trent, coming from the Bala direction, were travelling quite fast.

Maciej Owczarek said: "There were motorcyclists coming in the opposite direction one by one at a very very fast speed. I thought they were crazy."

He said he heard the high-pitched noise of a motorbike engine and saw a motorbike appear around a bend and it went straight into his brother head-on.

He said he stopped and found his brother already dead from serious injuries.

The other biker, Mr Rowley, 52, also died at the scene.

Ms Jones said the two witnesses from the second group of bikers gave evidence at the inquest.

She questioned them about the speed they were doing and one did admit there were some risk takers in the group and at times on the day they may have exceeded the speed limit on the way across Wales.

She said the riding of the group, as a whole, fell way below the safe and appropriate standard expected.

"I am satisfied on the evidence I have heard that the riding of the group as a whole - not specifically Stephen Rowley and Kevin McGing - was way below a safe acceptable standard."

The deputy coroner also criticised the group over their organisation and the fact that there was not an agreement about keeping a safe distance from each other and what the bikers should do if some went ahead.

"I'm concerned that for such a large group of riders there was such a lack of organisation," she said.

The police investigator said it was difficult to say what speed Mr Rowley was doing.

He said Mr Rowley could have been travelling at a speed of 40 - 55mph but it was hard to know how much of that would have been slowed by the collision.