Teenager handed over keys to "lethal weapon"

Friday, 5 September 2014 00:00

A series of stupid decisions which had devastating consequences and will affect him for the rest of his life - that's what a teenager's been told after being sentenced for his part in a fatal car crash.

19-year-old Colby Man Andrew Reeday was yesterday given 180 hours of community service, disqualified from driving for nine months and ordered to pay £300 costs.

He pleaded guilty to allowing another teenager to drive his Ford Fiesta on March 8th - it crashed on the Switchback Road resulting in the death of 14-year-old Lucia Porter.

The court heard there were eight teenagers in the car, with two in the boot, and only two were wearing seatbelts when it lost control and "barrel rolled" into a field.

Lucia, who had been in the front along with two others, was thrown from the vehicle which came to rest on top of her - tragically the others didn't realise and thought she'd fled the scene.

Reeday also pleaded guilty to wasting police time after claiming he was the one driving - a decision his advocate said had been made after discussion at the scene, with none of the teenagers at that time appreciating the 'severity of the situation'.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes was told Reeday had gone through school with no friends and feeling totally isolated and simply wanted to be "part of a gang" - something his driving licence had helped him achieve.

In sentencing him she said no sentence she could pass would reflect the fact Lucia had lost her life and said handing over his keys effectively gave a "lethal weapon" to someone who had no licence or experience.

An 18-year-old Peel man will appear in court charged with causing death by dangerous driving on October 10th.