Police officers’ son who killed two pedestrians has curfew lifted to help in job hunt

The son of two police officers who killed two pedestrians while high on drugs has had his curfew lifted by a judge because it was interfering with his search for a job.

Max Coopey was subject to an overnight curfew while on bail awaiting an appeal hearing against his conviction for driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The 18-year-old killed father-of-three Jason Imi, 48, and his colleague John Shackley, 61, as they were walking back from dinner in Ascot in August 2018.

Late last year he was given a 12-week custodial sentence and conviction for driving while disqualified.

But the 18-year-old, who walked free from jail after serving only one week in November last year, has returned to court to argue his bail conditions are too strict. 

Max Coopey at a hearing last year

Max Coopey (pictured left, arriving at Reading Crown Court today, and right, at a court appearance last year) has had his curfew lifted by a judge

Prosecuting, Jai Patel, told Reading Crown Court: ‘The application is to lift the curfew and the electronic monitoring requirement in its entirety.

‘Of course, bail was granted by the court, including the curfew requirement and this is a post-conviction appeal. It is entirely a matter for the court.

‘The Crown’s view, however, is that the conditions were imposed for good reason. If Mr Coopey has interviews, he should be able to attend those interviews and variations should be granted for that purpose and at such time as he has a job, the curfew may need to be varied.’

Judge Edward Burgess heard Coopey’s appeal date had been pushed back from November last year to April this year because of the availability of court time.

For the appellant, Ruby Shrimpton said: ‘The reality is Mr Coopey spent almost two weeks on remand, of the six weeks he would have spent in the three-month sentence.

‘He has now spent I believe about almost a month further on a qualifying curfew. If this remains in place until April, he will have served a far more onerous sentence in one respect than the one imposed.’

The lawyer said Coopey had a job interview coming up but told the judge she had been asked not to say the name of the company he was applying to in open court.

Ms Shrimpton added: ‘If he does not get the job then no doubt further interviews, hopefully will follow. 

Mr Shackley and Mr Imi (pictured with his wife Sarah) were hit with such force they were thrown over the top of Coopey's car and died on impact with the ground

Mr Shackley and Mr Imi (pictured with his wife Sarah) were hit with such force they were thrown over the top of Coopey’s car and died on impact with the ground

‘Sometimes interview dates are changed at the last minute through no fault of the applicant. It is going to be quite difficult going back and forth with the Crown.

‘He is actively seeking employment at this time and that is to be encouraged.’

Judge Burgess said he would lift the curfew requirement in its entirety, for which Coopey thanked him.

Explaining the decision, the judge said: ‘One of the factors that influenced me granting bail was the need to avoid him effectively serving the sentence before the appeal.

‘If he remains subject to the qualifying curfew, there is a significant risk that he will in fact have served the sentencing against him. I am prepared to lift the curfew in its entirety.’

Coopey was still subject to two other conditions which forbade him from getting in the front seat of any motor vehicle and required him to stay at his home address where he lived with his two parents who were both Metropolitan Police officers.

Last year, his parents Russel and Catherine Coopey were investigated amid accusations that they ‘turned a blind eye’ to their son’s drug use at their £1million home in Ascot, Berkshire, but the probe was dropped. 

Coopey, 18, killed father-of-three Jason Imi and his colleague John Shackley (pictured) as they were walking back from dinner in Ascot last August

Coopey, 18, killed father-of-three Jason Imi and his colleague John Shackley (pictured) as they were walking back from dinner in Ascot last August

Judge Burgess added: ‘He knows, in reality, what that means and what is likely to happen if he is in breach. Good luck to you in finding employment Mr Coopey.’

The court will reconvene in April to hear again prosecutors allege that Coopey had driven driving while disqualified and without insurance just weeks after mowing down and killing John Shackley and Jason Imi while driving his father’s high-powered Audi A5 car after smoking drugs with a friend on August 2 2018 in Sunninghill, Berks.

He was never charged with causing their deaths but admitted driving while under the influence of cannabis.

After the crash, he got back behind the wheel of his police officer mother’s Renault Clio on October 19 in 2018.

Coopey continued to deny the illegal driving even after being convicted by a district judge in Reading and appealed to Judge Burgess to hear the facts again.

Wearing his usual blue and red hoodie with a white shirt, Coopey left court with his lawyer. 

His father is a police sergeant and his mother a former policewoman, both with the Metropolitan Police.

Pictured: Floral tribute to the victims are left at the scene where Coopey rammed into them

Pictured: Floral tribute to the victims are left at the scene where Coopey rammed into them

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