ANDREW MOORE LANGEDHAM'S DEADLY HIGH-SPEED CHASE IN SHEFFIELD AND DONCASTER
In a shocking sequence of events that unfolded across Sheffield and Doncaster, Andrew Moore, also known as Langham, became the central figure in a dangerous and ultimately tragic incident that has left a community in mourning.Moore, aged 40, was involved in a high-speed police chase through busy town streets, a pursuit that began after authorities identified his stolen vehicle.
Despite being a convicted sex offender with a history of breaching court orders, Moore was found to be in South Yorkshire at the time of the incident, which was a clear violation of a deportation order that had been repeatedly ignored.
This order had been in place for at least three occasions, yet Moore’s presence in the area persisted.
The events took a darker turn when Moore, who had been under a sexual offences restriction that prohibited him from contact with minors, was found to be carrying a boy under 16 in the car.
Alongside this young passenger, the vehicle also contained Adam Thorpe, an 18-year-old, and another 17-year-old.
The circumstances surrounding the car’s use were alarming, especially considering Moore’s criminal background, which included convictions for indecent assaults on young boys, some as young as three years old.
On the day of the incident, Moore had taken Adam, Adam’s friend Alex Wood, Moore’s nephew Corey James, and another friend, Tom Liversidge, out for a day at Rother Valley country park.
Earlier that morning, Moore had arrived at the James family home in Norfolk Park, Norfolk Park Avenue, driving a Ford Escort.
He claimed to have purchased the vehicle for just 100 pounds from an unknown seller.
The car had been stolen overnight from outside a house on Charlotte Road, Highfield, where the keys had been left in the ignition, making it easy for Moore to take.
After dropping Corey off at a residence in Arbourthorne, the group headed towards Doncaster.
However, their journey took a dangerous turn when, around 8:20 pm, police automatic vehicle registration detection systems flagged the stolen car.
A police patrol car began to follow the Escort, initiating a reckless and perilous chase through the streets near Doncaster Racecourse, including Carr House Road and other residential areas.
During the pursuit, Moore disregarded multiple traffic laws, ignoring Give Way signs, reaching speeds of up to 90 mph, and driving into the oncoming lane of traffic.
He also ran red lights and deliberately collided with police vehicles, ramming into one of the four police cars following him twice.
Prosecutor Corinne Wilson detailed that after the second collision, as the vehicle traveled along Leger Way, Moore lost control, spun across the road, and crashed into a tree.
The impact was devastating, and Adam Thorpe, who was sitting in the front seat, suffered a fatal skull fracture.
Despite efforts to save him, Adam was pronounced dead at the scene.
None of the boys in the car knew it was stolen at the time they accepted the ride, highlighting the tragic innocence involved in the incident.
Moore later pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, while the breach of his sexual offences order was also noted but left on file by the prosecution.
In the aftermath, Adam’s mother, Maxine, aged 39, expressed her profound grief and disappointment.
She had hoped for a maximum or indeterminate sentence, believing that justice had not been fully served.
She stated, “He had chances to stop that car and he didn’t.
We have to live with the consequences of that every day.
It was a ride home for Adam that took his life away.
No matter what sentence they gave him, it will not bring him back, but it would have been nice to see justice.
Going through all this has brought it all back, it’s not given me closure — it’s made it worse.
It feels like it was yesterday again — that knock at the door at quarter past three in the morning.” Moore, residing on Norfolk Park Avenue in Norfolk Park, was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the incident.
The judge, Sheffield’s Recorder Alan Goldsack, dismissed Moore’s claims of remorse, stating, “I reject your assertion of remorse — your only regret is that you got caught.
Having no right to be in the country, you decided to try and evade justice.” The case underscores the tragic consequences of a reckless pursuit and the failure to adhere to legal restrictions, leaving a community to mourn the loss of a young life and grapple with the aftermath of a preventable tragedy.
