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Killer driver who took pal's life in crash had only passed test one day before & done doughnuts in car park

Killer driver who took pal's life in crash had only passed test one day before & done doughnuts in car park

The Suna day ago
A TEEN motorist who passed his test the day before killing his friend in a car crash has admitted causing death by dangerous driving.
Passenger Josh Atkins died in November 2023 when Corey Owen Cooper, then 17, lost control of the car after doing doughnuts in a car park.
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Cooper had been speeding between 47mph and 53mph on 20mph roads in his grandfather's Fiat Grand Punto before the fatal crash in Sheffield.
The teen pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and seriously injuring another passenger at a hearing in Sheffield Crown Court.
Judge Jeremy Richardson KC released Cooper, now 19, on bail but warned him he faces jail on November 7.
He said: "You will be sent into custody. The only issue for me to determine is for how long. There's also the question of disqualification.
"In the interim, I will disqualify you from driving - that's to say you are not permitted by law to drive on public roads.
"The likelihood is in fact almost an inevitability that you will be taken into custody. You have to prepare yourself for that."
Prosecutor Ian West told the court Cooper only passed his driving test 24 hours before the crash.
Mr West said: "He had driven the vehicle the day before, it belonged to his grandfather."
Barristers representing Cooper are set to submit a basis of plea over the next week.
It is understood to relate to Cooper's failure to note an error message which flashed up on the vehicle's "faulty ABS braking system".
Josh's family and friends all celebrated the teen's short life with a charity walk through Hillsborough Park last November.
Speaking at the time, Josh's auntie, Claire Chapman, said: "It was a great afternoon, even with the rain.
"We all loved to see to see so many of Josh's friends turn out for him.
"I think it was a day of remembrance and reflection rather than sadness."
The two charities who benefited from the walk were The Donor Family Network, who support families of organ donors, and RoadPeace, a road crash victim awareness group.
Josh's family announced that four people had benefited from Josh's organs which had been donated after his death.
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