He’s the brand new younger star of English cricket, grabbing 12 wickets on debut and turning into the primary quantity eight batsman to smash a century in additional than a decade.
Gus Atkinson has loved the right yr on the pitch – and by taking 33 wickets in solely 5 video games, he has smashed the document for many wickets in a maiden Take a look at summer season — 29, by Fred Trueman again in 1952.
However at the moment it emerged his extraordinary sporting breakthrough got here as a secret transatlantic courtroom battle raged over the damaging driving loss of life of his mom, 55, in 2020.
Because the Surrey quick bowler demolished the West Indies at Edgbaston – 120 miles away at Southwark Crown Court docket in London a former EastEnders star and bit-part actor was handed an eight-and-a-half yr jail time period for killing Caroline Atkinson along with his luxurious SUV.
A Day by day Telegraph investigation has revealed how Youssef Berouain was in a position to flee the nation and that Scotland Yard solely realised he was gone seven months later once they arrived at his London residence to cost him with varied offences.
Mom-of-three Mrs Atkinson was in an Uber on the night of December 10 2020 after a pre-Christmas evening out when it was smashed into by a rushing Audi Q7 pushed by Berouain.
The jobbing actor, who additionally starred in BBC daytime drama Docs and 9/11 mini collection The Looming Tower, was going no less than 60mph in a 30mph zone via Fulham.
England’s Gus Atkinson celebrates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s Dhananjaya de Silva over the weekend – at the moment it emerged an actor has been jailed over the loss of life of his mom
Atkinson’s mom Caroline, who enormously inspired the younger participant, died in a automotive crash in 2020
Youssef Berouain, left in his mugshot and proper as a terrorist in The Looming Tower, smelled of hashish and was going 60mph in a 30mph zone
Police referred to as to the scene described he smelled of hashish however he refused to provide a roadside pattern whereas Mrs Atkinson succumbed to her accidents two hours later. The driving force of the Uber was additionally injured.
He was bailed after at evening at Hammersmith Police Station the place he once more refused to provide blood and urine samples and maintained he was doing 20 to 30mph and couldn’t miss the oncoming Uber because of the moist situations.
It then emerged he had waltzed out of Britain via Heathrow.
First he flew to Dubai to cowl his tracks earlier than jetting into america.
He was solely present in Los Angeles and arrested after US police found he utilized for a driving licence in California and gave away his handle.
However the harmful driver refused to return to Britain, sparking prolonged and dear courtroom hearings in London and Los Angeles earlier than his extradition was lastly confirmed in 2024 – greater than three years after he brought about Caroline Atkinson’s loss of life.
Berouain appeared at Southwark Crown Court docket and pleaded responsible to 2 costs of inflicting loss of life by harmful driving and careless driving on June 14.
On July 26, as Atkinson tore via the West Indies in Birmingham, Berouain was jailed for eight and a half years.
Berouain appeared in eight episodes of EastEnders enjoying a teenage gang member referred to as Tayo (circled)
Berouain seems to have been an on-off actor for the previous decade.
He appeared in eight episodes of EastEnders enjoying a teenage gang member referred to as Tayo simply over ten years in the past. He has additionally appeared briefly movies and TV collection, together with enjoying a terrorist in The Looming Tower – all about 9/11.
He additionally appeared in a 2022 quick movie on BBC iPlayer, launched whereas he was on the run.
The Atkinson household declined to touch upon the Telegraph story, and Gus has not been eager to talk about his mom’s loss of life – solely concerning it briefly in latest interviews.
However his mom Caroline enormously inspired him as a younger participant – making it doubly tragic that she has not been in a position to see what he has achieved in his profession thus far.
Chatting with the Mail lately Gus mentioned: ‘My mum pushed me ahead virtually behind my again.
‘She’d get in contact with Surrey and ensure I used to be nonetheless within the loop when maybe I might need been falling behind the others.
‘As soon as she handed away my profession may have gone one or two methods and I wished to take it within the route she would have wished. And that I wished as nicely. So to be on this place could be very particular.’
Atkinson mentioned, after her loss of life, his profession ‘may have gone one or two methods and I wished to take it within the route she would have wished’
Gus Atkinson’s father Ed celebrates his son’s extraordinary century – however tragically his spouse was not there to see their son’s achievement at Lord’s
His father Ed’s celebrations when his son scored a century in opposition to Sri Lanka within the final check went viral.
The proud dad lately informed Telegraph Sport that the game had helped Gus via his darkest occasions.
Mr Atkinson urged his son to push ahead and fulfill his potential.
He mentioned: ‘I mainly emphasised the significance of carrying on.
I mentioned: “Gussy, you’ve obtained to go and show what Mum set out – that you are able to do it”.
‘Inside days, Gus was again within the winter nets on the Oval. “I wish to bowl for England, I wish to take 5 and I wish to maintain the ball up and say: ‘Thanks, Mum,’” he informed his dad.
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