Audi driver killed two grammar school pupils in high-speed collision

Telegraph

4 hours ago

A mother of two killed two grammar school pupils when she crashed into their stationary car at 96mph.
Natasha Allarakhia, 36, was drinking alcohol in her Audi Q2 when she failed to notice another car, which had stopped at temporary traffic lights, until seconds before the collision.
Both William Ray, 17, who had driven three of his friends to watch an England football match on TV, and Eddie Shore, his 18-year-old passenger, died as a result of the crash. A second passenger, Jack Prince, then 17, suffered life-changing injuries.
Allarakhia, who was driving her female partner and two young daughters, aged seven and 12, claimed not to be the driver when police arrived at the scene and maintained the lie for more than an hour.
Lincoln Crown Court heard Allarakhia even 'laughed' when she passed a roadside breath test despite her own two children being present.
David Eager, prosecuting, said Ray, known as Will, was waiting at a set of temporary traffic lights on the A17 at North Rauceby, Lincs, on June 20 last year when Allarakhia drove into the back of his Ford Fiesta
Mr Eager told the court: 'Not only was she [Allarakhia] driving at 96mph but she was not paying attention all the time. During part of the journey she was drinking from a can of alcohol, literally drinking and driving.'
At the scene Allarakhia claimed a friend of her partner was driving and had run off into a field. Allarakhia was asked to take a roadside breath test and replied: 'I've had a drink. I'm not p---ed. I'm not the driver.'
The court heard Allarakhia provided a result that meant she was within the legal limit.
'At that point she laughs, again in the presence of her children,' Mr Eager added.
Ray and Shore were taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where they were later declared dead from their head injuries.
'Selfish actions'
At an earlier hearing, Allarakhia, of Turner Crescent in Norwich, pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of Ray, on June 21, and Shore, on June 22, by dangerous driving. Allarakhia also admitted a third charge of causing serious injury to Mr Prince on June 20.
Giving evidence from the witness box, Shore's mother, Kerri Foster, told Allarakhia that her 'selfish actions' had robbed her of her son.
She revealed that he was about to take up a dream job as a ski lift operator in Canada and described how the family received his successful A-level results eight weeks after his death. The results meant he would have been able to take up a place at university in Leeds.
Mrs Foster said: 'Now we will never know what that future had for Eddie.'
Judge James House KC jailed Allarakhia for 10 years. The defendant was also made the subject of a 12-and-a-half-year driving ban and must take an extended retest before she can ever drive again.