Family of bike enthusiast John Stanbury, killed on Fernvale bakery run speaks out

“Nothing will bring him back:” A Brisbane family has been left shattered at the end of a three-year legal process following the death of motorcycle rider John Stanbury on the Brisbane Valley Highway.

He was on his way to the famed Fernvale Bakery when tragedy struck and now — three years later — the family of motorcyclist John Stanbury have shared their grief following the trial of the driver acquitted of causing his death.

Mr Stanbury had enjoyed doing several things he loved before his life was dashed.

One of those things was riding one of his four motorbikes on a mission to find delicious food.

The boilermaker and foodie had loved trying new pies at the national award-winning Old Fernvale Bakery.

Speaking this week from Ipswich courthouse, where ute driver Kris Allen successfully contested a charge of dangerous driving causing death, Mr Stanbury’s family agreed that while it was cut short, he had lived a big life.

They said the 53-year-old had spent time free-climbing mountains, skydiving, and swimming with sharks.

Stanbury family (Jean, Mark, Rebecca, and Lenore) at the Ipswich courthouse on May 19, 2022, where the man acquitted of causing the death of their brother/son/uncle, was found not guilty by a jury. Picture: Peta McEachern

John’s brother, Mark Stanbury said the three-year legal proceedings that followed his brother’s death were excruciating and had been difficult and draining for the family.

Minutes before a jury was set to come back with a verdict for Mr Allen, Mark Stanbury was asked what an outcome would mean to him.

“Nothing will bring him back but it would bring the smallest, the smallest, bit of closure,” he said.

On Thursday, May 19, driver Kris Allen was found not guilty of causing the death of John Stanbury by the dangerous operation of a utility.

On July 3, 2019, John had been five minutes away from the bakery on a foggy morning when Mr Allen turned onto the Brisbane Valley Highway and collided with the motorcycle.

Mr Stanbury’s niece Rebecca — who has a bee tattoo in honour of her late uncle because he was a mad honey collector — said she had been working that morning when she received a call she would never forget.

“Work called me and I thought they were sending me to my next client and they said, ‘no you need to go to your grandmother’s house right now’,” she said.

“When I got there and they told me I was just like, ‘no, that’s not possible, it’s just not, no’.”

John Stanbury, forever 52. Killed on July 3, 2019, after his motorcycle crashed on the Brisbane Valley Highway while driving to Fernvale.

Mark became visibly upset at the courthouse as his daughter recalled the day.

Mr Stanbury’s mother Lenore, said his death was particularly hard for his brother.

“He’s dearly, truly missed,” she said.

“He was my go-to whenever I needed help, to get things done, he was always there.

“Everyone loved him, everyone… and he was caring as a boy, he always loved our dogs.

“If you wanted to know where the best coffee or steak was you asked John.”

You can often find a number of clubs and solar risers gathering at the Old Fernvale Bakery an lining up for one if Queensland’s best pies.

The Stanbury family, Lenore, Mark, Rebecca, and Jean (Mark’s wife), said although Mr Stanbury lived life to the fullest there were still things he never got to do; start his new job, build his dream container home on newly purchased land, start a food truck business with a cousin, and climb Mount Tigingarra 1000 times.

John planned to get a tattoo of the glasshouse mountain to celebrate the achievement, although he only made the journey 500 times.