Teen who killed two passengers in late-night crash filmed tiktoks after tragedy, court hears
While the families of Harrison Carter and George Stephenson were planning their sons’ funerals, the teenage driver responsible for their deaths was choreographing TikToks.
Madeleine Lonsdale, 18, crashed her car while ’racing’ another driver at speeds of up to 100mph.
George’s mom, Victoria, told the court Lonsdale only added to her torment by going skiing, delaying the first court appearance by two weeks.
Eventually, the teenager admitted two counts of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving at Lincoln Crown Court.
Defending, John McNally told Lincoln Crown Court: ’Her friends will remain, and are, in her thoughts.’
But the mothers of those two friends told the court that far from expressing any remorse, Lonsdale only ’added insult to injury’ with her behavior after the crash that killed their sons.
Harrison’s mom Sarah Carter said he had not long finished his A-levels and wanted to be a lawyer one day.
She said: ’Harry was taken from us because Madeleine chose to speed.’
’He will never be able to celebrate the amazing exam results that he achieved.’
Mrs. Stephenson told the court: ’We will never see him graduate or find a job after university.’
’We didn’t get to celebrate his 18th birthday with him, instead we had his funeral.’
She said that when Lonsdale went on a skiing trip, delaying her first court appearance by two weeks, it ’only added to the torment.’
Lonsdale pleaded guilty to two counts of causing the teenagers’ deaths by careless or inconsiderate driving.
She was handed a sentence of 14 months’ detention – meaning she could be out in just seven.
Prosecutor Steven Taylor told the court that Mr. Carter and George set off as passengers in Lonsdale’s Kia Niro in the early hours of the morning to go to an Esso petrol station off the A1.
Mr. Taylor said: ’She took a left turn down a rural country road and . . . down that road for a distance, evidently accelerated to over 70mph.’
’In due course, she failed to negotiate a right-hand bend further along the road.’
He added: ’It appears she misjudged the distance to the first bend and failed to slow down at all on her approach.’
The court heard that the car was traveling at 76mph seconds before it collided with the tree in Toll Bar Road and then landed on its side.
The unlit road was subject to a 60mph limit, Mr. Taylor said, and a sign warned of the upcoming bend.
Mr. Carter was in the front passenger seat while George had been sitting directly behind him in the rear of the car.
’Both tragically suffered fatal injuries in the crash and were pronounced dead at the scene,’ Mr. Taylor said.
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