'A part of me died with him': Heartbroken Pateley Bridge mum speaks out after driver sentenced over Bailey Chadwick's death
The devastated mother of Bailey Chadwick has spoken of the lifelong pain of losing her teenage son after the driver who admitted drink-driving before the collision that claimed his life was sentenced.
Joseph Henry Stott, 25, appeared before Harrogate Magistrates' Court on Thursday (September 3), where he changed his plea to guilty to driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit following the fatal collision on the B6265 near Pateley Bridge.
The case marks the first time North Yorkshire Police has secured a conviction for drink-driving using a forward calculation of alcohol levels after Stott was not arrested until four days after the crash.
But for Bailey's family, the sentence brings little comfort.
In a powerful victim personal statement read to the court, Bailey's mum described how "a part of me died with him” after the 19-year-old was killed while walking home from work in the early hours of July 20, 2025.
She spoke of a family left "broken" by his death and a close-knit Nidderdale community still grieving the loss of a young man whose life was cut tragically short.
"My community of Pateley Bridge has felt this loss deeply," she said.
"There is a shrine for Bailey - a place where people gather, leave flowers, light candles, and play the music he loved.
"We go there to listen to him, to keep his memory alive.
"It is beautiful, but it is also heartbreaking, because it should never have had to exist.
"A shrine is for someone whose life has ended far too soon, and Bailey should still be here living his."
Describing the devastating impact on those closest to him, she said Bailey's siblings had lost "their brother, their friend", while his grandparents are “devastated”.
Bailey’s mum added: “Every family gathering has an empty space where Bailey should be.
“His absence is felt in every silence, every memory, every moment.”
His friends continue to visit the roadside shrine, sharing memories of his humour, kindness and ability to make everyone feel included.
She also revealed that one of Bailey's lifelong friends was the person who discovered him following the collision.
"His friends are heartbroken.
"They talk about him constantly – his humour, his kindness, the way he made everyone feel included.
"They visit the shrine, they share stories, and they grieve the future they will never get to share with him.
"Many of them are still struggling to understand how someone so full of life could be taken so suddenly and so unfairly.
"There’s one friend who will never be the same, a friend that Bailey grew up with from a young age.
"He had to find his friend dead in the road with catastrophic injuries, a vision nobody should have to see.”
Speaking of her own grief, Bailey's mum said she continues to struggle with anxiety, sleepless nights and overwhelming moments of sadness.
"I am not the person I was before Bailey was killed," she said.
"A part of me died with him, and that part will never return."
She added: "Bailey deserved to live.
"He deserved to travel, to love, to grow, to build the future he dreamed of.
"Instead, we are left with memories, heartbreak and a lifetime of wondering who he would have become.
“The impact of his death is permanent – for me, for our family, for his friends, and for the community that loved him.
"Nothing will ever undo the pain of losing him, and nothing will ever make this right. I cannot believe this is my life now.”
Stott admitted driving while over the legal alcohol limit before getting behind the wheel on the night Bailey died.
He denied charges of failing to stop after a road accident and failing to report a road accident, with those charges accepted by the court following his guilty plea to the drink-driving offence.
He had previously admitted driving without insurance.
Stott was banned from driving for 20 months, given a 12-month Community Order, ordered to complete 135 hours of unpaid work and must wear an alcohol monitoring tag for 80 days.
Following the hearing, Detective Inspector Jill Cowling, from North Yorkshire Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, paid tribute to Bailey and acknowledged the suffering endured by his family.
"Before anything else, I want to acknowledge Bailey's family and loved ones," she said.
"The loss of a child, sibling, family member or friend in such sudden and tragic circumstances is something no family should ever have to endure.
"Throughout this investigation, our thoughts have remained with Bailey's family as they continue to navigate the profound grief, trauma and loss caused by his death."
DI Cowling thanked the Pateley Bridge community for supporting what she described as a complex investigation and praised the officers, forensic specialists and family liaison staff who worked on the case.
She said the conviction demonstrated the force's commitment to pursuing every possible line of enquiry, adding that Bailey's death should serve as "a stark reminder of the devastating consequences that can arise when individuals choose to drive after consuming alcohol".
"Every road death leaves behind families, friends and communities whose lives are changed forever," she said.
"Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Bailey. At the centre of this investigation was a young man whose life was tragically cut short.
"Our thoughts remain firmly with those who knew and loved him."