Latest news with #ChippingCampdenSchool
Times
28-04-2025
- Times
Teenager who killed friends in crash detained for two years
A teenage driver who had recently passed his driving test and had a history of 'showing off' has been sentenced to two years' detention after killing his three passengers in a head-on collision in Warwickshire. Edward Spencer, 19, changed his plea last month and admitted causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury to passengers in the oncoming car when he was 17. Harry Purcell, 17, Matilda 'Tilly' Seccombe and Frank Wormald, both 16, were passengers en route home with Spencer from Chipping Campden School in Gloucestershire. Their Ford Fiesta collided with an oncoming Fiat 500 at 64mph on a country road near the village of Shipston-on-Stour in April 2023. Two children in the oncoming car, aged ten and 12, have been left with
Wales Online
28-04-2025
- Wales Online
'Show-off' driver, 17, killed three friends in crash weeks after passing test
'Show-off' driver, 17, killed three friends in crash weeks after passing test The judge said there was plenty of evidence of bad driving Edward Spencer arriving at court (Image: SWNS ) A "show off" teenage driver who killed three school friends in a horror crash just five weeks after passing his test has been sentenced to two years. Edward Spencer, now 19, lost control of his Ford Fiesta while driving home from Chipping Campden School in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds. He was travelling at 64mph when he ploughed into a Fiat 500 coming in the opposite direction on the B4035 near Shipston, Warwickshire, on April 21, 2023. His passengers, Harry Purcell, 17, Matilda "Tilly" Seccombe, 16, and Frank Wormald, 16, were airlifted to hospital, but died. Two children, aged 10 and 12, who were travelling in the Fiat with their stepmother and another teenager suffered "life-changing" injuries in the crash. A court heard Spencer, who was 17 at the time, had a "cavalier" attitude towards driving and shared Snapchat videos of him boasting about being able to "drive like a d**khead' once he'd passed his test. He also filmed LED lights in his car interior and joked 'it's disco time' and bragged about reversing so fast that he was 'going to crash'. Spencer had denied causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, but changed his pleas to guilty on March 17 this year. The teenager, of Newbold-on-Stour, Warwickshire, also admitted three counts of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. On Monday he was sentenced to 24 months behind bars and banned from driving for eight years at Warwick Crown Court. Sentencing, Judge Andrew Lockhart KC said: 'We start where we must by acknowledging the carnage of your foolish actions on your day. I have read many such statements which give some idea of those you killed. Article continues below 'It's of note that no one walked away from this collision unhurt. I also note that others who came to the scene had to deal with a scene of utter devastation. 'It is the cross that you will bear. I make it clear that any sentence cannot put a value on any one of the lives of the children who died. All of these children in my judgement were true exemplars of the very best that our community has to offer.' Judge Lockhart told the court how video footage found online and on Tilly's Snapchat account showcased the defendant's 'cavalier' attitude to driving. He added: 'It is disturbing material and seriously aggravates your position. Toni Purcell recovered a number of clips saved from Snapchat. These clips showcased your cavalier attitude for dangerous driving. You filmed LED lights in your driver and passenger footwell, and you can be heard saying 'disco time'.' The judge described one clip in which Spencer told one friend 'so when I reverse really fast, I'm going to crash and it's going to fly down. It doesn't go fast on gravel'. In another he told another friend 'you can nicely when you pass and then you can drive like a d**khead' while discussing driving styles. Judge Lockhart said: 'The Snapchat messages with Tilly complaining about your reckless driving, your response being that she was 'underestimating you'. Across the course of five or six weeks you were driving in a manner showcasing this. "You're a habitual bad driver, fascinated by speed. It is of note that you were warned of this behaviour. 'There was a terrible inevitability to what was going to happen on April 21. It was 3.5 miles before the collision that your car was caught on CCTV. It is clear from that footage that your car is significantly speeding. 'A careful driver would have realised the risks of driving on a rural road with bends and undulations. At the point where you lost control there is a chevron. A competent driver would have braked on the approach to this bend. 'I note that the national speed limit is 60mph and it is applicable to this stretch of road. I further note that this is a limit, not a target. 'I am of the clear view that it would be an act of pure folly to drive 60mph through these bends. This was a road you knew with hazards you knew, that knowledge did not cause you to slow down. 'At the right hand bend you lost control of your car into the oncoming Fiat 500. It swerved onto the grass verge and you couldn't control your car and it presented its near onside to the oncoming car. 'None could, or did, survive such a disaster. That impact was enormous. This was a car driving way too fast, through severe bends, by a young man with a penchant to show off. This has all the trademarks of lift-off oversteer. 'My analysis, I am sure that beyond doubt the reason you lifted your foot off the throttle is you realised you were driving too fast for the road. Whilst there are no convictions, there is a crystal clear history of dangerous driving. "The case is aggravated because you disregarded the warnings of others in the weeks previous. This was a collision fuelled by an irresponsible and inexperienced driver who had been warned in the weeks before.' The horror crash occurred as Spencer was driving home from the school, where they were all Year 12 students. Harry and Tilly died a day after the smash, while Frank passed away two days later. Harry Purcell (Image: Warwickshire Police/SWNS ) Following the case, Harry's heartbroken mother Toni Purcell blasted "remorseless" Spencer and said: "We will never forgive him." Paying tribute to her son, she said: "Words don't come easy to try to explain the pain of losing your child. It's an indescribable pain felt every minute of every day. A never-ending nightmare, now a lifetime of sadness. "We had loved every minute of watching Harry grow into such a kind, loving and so very funny young man. Now we can only imagine what his future would have been. "He has always wanted Chelsea season tickets. For years we'd tried to get them for him, but couldn't. "However last year Chelsea contacted us to say that they had some available. Sadly Harry will never get to enjoy them. "Not only has Harry been taken away from us, he's been taken from his sister and twin brother. We'll never get the chance to say I love you again. We'll never get the chance to laugh with him. "Every birthday, every holiday, every milestone so painful that Harry won't be there with us. The guilt we carry that we're still here and Harry's life was taken. "Our hearts are broken beyond repair. We now only have memories that we'll hold tight forever." She added: "Edward Spencer was speeding when he killed our son. Our family and so many other families will forever be impacted by his actions that day. "Harry's death was completely avoidable. It has taken almost two years for him to plead guilty and two years of us attending several court hearings. "Each so hard to bear and each time learning of his not guilty pleas. Edward nor his family have shown no empathy or remorse towards us. "Edward Spencer's sentence will pale into insignificance compared to the sentence he has given our family. We will never forgive him." Matilda 'Tilly' Seccombe (Image: Warwickshire Police/SWNS ) Tilly's mum Juliet Seccombe said: "There are no winners here today – only losers. We have lost our beautiful daughter who had a zest for life and had her future mapped out before her. A life that I know would have achieved great things. "Edward Spencer took away that life due to his reckless behaviour putting his own ego before the safety of himself, his passengers and other road users. No sentence will bring back our daughter and we take little comfort in the punishment of someone else's son. "However, we hope that Edward Spencer can at last reflect on his actions and finally accept responsibility for the devastation he has caused and learns to atone. We would like to thank all the emergency services who attended the scene, the hospital staff and the police investigation team. All of which have shown us incredible kindness and support. "Even though the numbers of young drivers have dropped significantly since 2010. In 2023 they caused 4,959 deaths and serious injury on the roads. "That is over 95 per week. This number has increased by 11% from the year before according to government data, and these collisions are almost never an accident. "They are nearly always preventable, and it's due to young drivers using or holding mobile phones, inappropriate speed or speeding on rural roads, risk-taking and showing off, as well as drug abuse all of which when you combine this with inexperience is a recipe for disaster. "The saddest part about it is, that it's generally innocent bystanders or other road users who are killed or suffer life-changing injuries – not the irresponsible driver. "I now want to say this to the Government. Whilst you are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, you have recognised that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads. "You have been exploring options to tackle the root causes of this for decades. It's time for action – not procrastination. Otherwise, more families will suffer the devastating loss of their loved ones." The injured woman and her children are still receiving treatment and this will continue into early adulthood for the children. The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: "Firstly, I would like to express my deepest condolences to all of the other families involved. I don't have the words to express how sorry I am that this has happened. "If I could have done anything to stop this, I truly would. If I could go back and give my life to save theirs, to save the suffering my children felt, I would, without hesitation. "Both my children and I are still suffering from the consequences of this crash; there have been countless hospital appointments, operations, therapies. Nothing can undo the trauma that we have all been through; there is still pain, nightmares, flashbacks. "I wake in the night from nightmares, picturing the poor children in the other car who didn't survive. I have flashbacks to being in the car with my children, the intense fear I felt, but had to hide for their sake. I see my own children dead in the back seats of my car. "This collision has given me permanent scars, both physically and mentally. I should feel lucky for surviving, but I feel the furthest thing from lucky. "The lucky ones are the people who go their whole lives without this trauma - this is not lucky; this is the thing of nightmares. Edward, had you been sorry for your actions, had you said sorry, had you asked for forgiveness, you would have got it. You did not do this. "You showed yourself to be cocky and indifferent, taking almost two years to take responsibility for your actions. You showed everyone that you do not care about the innocent lives you have taken. You do not care that you nearly killed two innocent children. "You have not shown any remorse, any regret, any guilt. That is unforgivable. This crash, like so many others, was wholly preventable. Graduated driving licenses have been proven to reduce incidents of this kind. Every time I see another crash like this in the news, it breaks my heart, yet still nothing is done to prevent these young lives from being lost." Spencer will serve his sentence in a young offenders' institution. Detective Sergeant Stephen Barr, of Warwickshire Police, said afterwards: "This was a truly tragic collision and our thoughts remain with all those involved and affected by what happened. Edward Spencer was an inexperienced driver who made decisions on that day that changed many lives forever. Article continues below "He and all the families affected will have to live with the consequences of what he did for the rest of their lives. As this tragic case shows the consequences of careless driving can be devastating. "Any death is difficult to come to terms with, but for three young lives to be lost who each had so much to look forward to is extremely challenging. We know this conviction will not bring comfort to the loved ones of the three teenagers who lost their lives as well as those who were seriously injured, but we welcome the Judge's decision in this matter.'
Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Telegraph
New driver with history of ‘showing off' killed three teenagers in head-on crash
A newly-qualified driver with a history of 'showing off' killed three other teenagers in a head-on crash. Edward Spencer also left two young children and their stepmother with life-changing injuries after losing control of his Ford Fiesta while speeding at 64mph on a country road. Spencer, now 19, was sentenced to two years of detention. A judge sitting at Warwick Crown Court described the actions of Spencer, who was 17 at the time of the crash, near Shipston-on-Stour, in Warwickshire, as 'pure folly'. The court heard that Spencer changed his plea at a previous hearing to admit causing the deaths of 17-year-old Harry Purcell and 16-year-olds Tilly Seccombe and Frank Wormald by careless driving. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury, after crashing into an oncoming car while en route home from Chipping Campden School in Gloucestershire in April 2023 with his three fellow pupils as front and rear seat passengers. Judge Andrew Lockhart KC was told that Spencer, of Newbold-on-Stour, Warwickshire, only passed his driving test six weeks earlier. However, social media videos discovered after the crash had exposed a history of 'showing off, driving too quickly and failing to heed the warnings of those who were in the car with him'. It also emerged that Tilly had previously sent a Snapchat message to Spencer complaining about his driving but he had responded that she had 'underestimated' him. The judge told Spencer that his previous and habitual poor driving meant there was 'a terrible inevitability' about the 'catastrophic' crash. The judge said of the social media evidence, including the video of Spencer passing a mobility scooter at more than 50mph: 'It is disturbing material and it seriously aggravates the position you find yourself in. This is material that is indisputable, largely captured on video. There is here clear and crystal clear evidence of previous poor driving.' The crash was caused by a 'lethal combination' of grossly excessive speed and a failure to drive to the road conditions, the judge said. The families of those killed criticised Spencer for an apparent lack of remorse, including a social media post in which he said of the fatal crash: 'It's not my fault, I'm a good driver.' In a statement to the court, the mother of Tilly, Juliet, said the decision of Spencer, a trainee joiner, to accept a job close to her home after the crash had been 'astonishing and unbelievably callous'. A written statement prepared by Tilly's mother added: 'There are no winners here today - only losers. We have lost our beautiful daughter who had a zest for life and had her future mapped out before her. 'Edward Spencer took away that life due to his reckless behaviour putting his own ego before the safety of himself, his passengers and other road users.' Frank's father David read a victim impact statement to the court in which he described Spencer's actions in causing the crash as senseless and selfish. The grieving father said the impact on his family had been so severe that 'the people we were no longer exist.' Harry's mother Toni said in a statement that her family were experiencing 'a never-ending nightmare' and a lifetime of sadness. She said of her son, who supported Chelsea FC: 'He had always wanted Chelsea season tickets. And for years we'd tried to get them for him. 'Only last year Chelsea contacted us to say that they had some available. Sadly Harry will never get to enjoy them with his brother. 'Not only has Harry been taken from us, he's been taken from his sister and his twin brother and many family members who loved him.'
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Daily Mail
I thought my children were going to die, the only thing I could do was tell them to close their eyes: Mother who collided with killer driver, 19, reveals heartbreaking split-second decision before being knocked unconscious
The driver of the vehicle who survived a collision which claimed three teenagers' lives broke down in tears as she recalled telling her children to close their eyes because she feared they were going to die. The woman spoke out as the driver of the out-of-control Ford Fiesta, 19-year-old Edward Spencer, was detained for 24 months for causing the deaths of fellow sixth formers Matilda Seccombe, 16, who was known as Tilly, Harry Purcell, a 17-year-old twin, and Frank Wormald, 16, by careless driving. The female motorist, who was hospitalised alongside her children following the April 2023 collision, said she still suffers pain, nightmares and flashbacks following the crash. And she told how she saw 'cocky and indifferent' Spencer smirking and dancing at an earlier court appearance. Spencer stood staring at the judge as he was sentenced to 24 months in a young offenders' institution at Warwick Crown Court on Monday. The teen driver had only passed his test five weeks earlier and had been travelling at or around 64mph on the rural road when he lost control of his Ford Fiesta and hit a Fiat travelling in the opposite direction. Describing her memories of the collision as Spencer drove his fellow sixth formers home from Chipping Campden School in the north Cotswolds, the other driver told how she was ferrying her stepchildren home from their mother's house when she found herself 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'. She added: 'I was driving up the road and it was straight and I saw a silver Ford Fiesta coming towards me and I could tell it wasn't in control and I knew there was nothing I could do.' Sobbing, she added: 'The only thing I could do – because I knew in that moment that my children were going to die – the only thing I could do to help them was to tell them to close their eyes. That's the last thing I remember.' The stepmother was knocked out in the collision which sent her Fiat 500 through a hedge and into a field behind the B4035 which straddles Gloucestershire's border with Warwickshire. The Fiat driver has joined the mothers of Harry and Tilly' in condemning Spencer - who only pleaded guilty to the offences on what was due to be the first day of his trial last month – for his failure to take responsibility sooner and a lack of remorse, both of which had deepened their agony. Speaking ahead of today's sentencing, she told how she woke up in the car to her children screaming in the back seats, the rear end of the vehicle up against the hedge and the windscreen smashed. The stepmother, who cannot be identified to protect the children's anonymity, said: 'They were both conscious, they were crying. Neither of them were knocked out so they remember the whole thing. 'Some people came to help and got us out of the car and I had injured my abdomen and had to crawl across the field to be with the children. The air ambulance arrived and I remember thinking 'Oh my God this is really bad'.' She said that following the crash, it took the children - who have undergone a series of operations -'a long time to be comfortable in cars again', adding that they had undergone therapy to help them come to terms with what happened. But the driver said she is still plagued by nightmares over what happened. Expressing her condolences to the families of the victims, she said: 'If I could've done anything to stop this I truly would. If I could go back and give my life to save theirs, to save the suffering my children felt, I would - without hesitation. 'I wake up in the night from nightmares picturing the poor children in the other car who didn't survive. 'I have flashbacks to being in the car with my children -the intense fear that I felt that I have to hide for their sake. I see my own children dead in the back seats of my car.' All three in the Fiat were hospitalised after the collision at Stretton-on-Fosse, Warwickshire, which saw four air ambulances attend the scene. The woman and her children are still undergoing treatment for their injuries, which in the children's case will continue into early adulthood. Spencer admitted three counts of causing serious injury by careless driving in relation to those victims, on top of three counts of causing death by careless driving in relation to Tilly, Harry and Frank. Frank was only in the car because he was going home with Harry to watch a football match on TV, sources revealed to MailOnline. Collision investigators found Spencer, from Newbold on Stour, Warwickshire, was travelling at or around 64mph a the time of the crash on the B4035 near Shipston-on-Stour - too fast for the road and conditions. MailOnline has previously told how Spencer, from Newbold on Stour, Warwickshire, had promised Tilly's father, James, a Parish councillor in their neighbouring village of Preston on Stour, that he would be 'careful' behind the wheel. Tilly had also raised concerns about the manner of his driving just hours before the fatal collision, her father revealed. She had only been travelling to and from school with Spencer for around a week before he lost control of his Ford Fiesta on a bend. Spencer voluntarily gave up his driving licence following the crash, but successfully reapplied to the DVLA for it last year. He is now said to be working at a sawmill on the edge of Preston on Stour, where Tilly's family still live. Mr Seccombe, 55, said it was 'sickening' to think that Spencer had possibly been driving himself to work at a timber yard which was 'virtually within sight of Tilly's bedroom window'. Mr Seccombe and wife Juliet, 53, Harry's mother Toni Purcell and the stepmother who was at the wheel of the Fiat are together calling for the introduction of graduated driving licences. These could include restrictions such as a ban on new drivers carrying younger passengers, a late-night driving curfew for the first few months after passing a driving test, or other measures such as a minimum learning period. And the three women urged the Government to do more to reduce the number of serious and fatal collisions involving young drivers. The stepmother and Mrs Seccombe said that had Spencer, from Newbold on Stour, Warwickshire, shown remorse and apologised for the manner of his driving that day they would have forgiven him. The stepmother said of Spencer: 'I know nothing about him. I know nothing about his family - the only times I have seen him have been in court. 'And the first time I saw him in court he was listening to music on his headphones and dancing in the waiting room. Seeing him in court - he smirked. He has shown nothing but belligerence.' Addressing Spencer directly, the stepmother added: 'You did not do this. You showed yourself to be cocky and indifferent, taking almost two years to take responsibility for your actions. The stepmother said of Spencer: 'I know nothing about him. I know nothing about his family - the only times I have seen him have been in court. 'And the first time I saw him in court he was listening to music on his headphones and dancing in the waiting room. Seeing him in court - he smirked. He has shown nothing but belligerence.' 'You showed everyone that you do not care about the innocent lives you have taken. You do not care that you nearly killed two innocent children. You have not shown any remorse, any regret, any guilt. That is unforgiveable.' She said Spencer's decision to save his guilty plea until what was due to be the first day of his trial last month had left her struggling to obtain any sort of closure. 'I'm still going through it', she added. 'Up until a few days before the last court hearing I was fully expecting a trial to take place and know that I would have to stand in front of everyone and say what happened…what I saw. 'And that was awful, just because he wouldn't take any responsibility. He wouldn't accept what he had done. She added: 'From the start, I always said there's no punishment that anyone could give him that's going to be worse than what he has done. But he doesn't seem to be living with it. He doesn't seem to care.' Mrs Seccombe, who runs her own soft furnishing business, said the crash was due to Spencer's 'reckless behaviour putting his own ego before the safety of himself, his passengers and other road users.' She added: No sentence will bring back our daughter and we take little comfort in the punishment of someone else's son. However, we hope that Edward Spencer can at last reflect on his actions and finally accept responsibility for the devastation he has caused and learns to atone.' Mrs Purcell, also 53, said the two years it took Spencer to admit his guilt had compounded her families' pain. She added: 'Edward and his family have shown no remorse towards will never forgive him.' Mrs Purcell, from Blackwell, Warwickshire, backed the introduction of graduated driving licences and also called for young drivers to be required to have black box telematic devices fitted to their cars as a condition of insurance. She said she insisted on one for Harry's twin, who she asked not be named, when he passed his test, adding: 'A black box is there to prevent a driver driving in any way other than at the speed limit and in a safe manner.' She said her son was a keen Chelsea FC fan who longed for season tickets - only for the club to contact the family to reveal some had become available after the teenager's death. 'His passion was football and he had travelled all around Europe to various football matches with my husband and son', Mrs Purcell said. 'He wanted a big family. We're very close as a family and we spoke so much about everything and it's just been ripped away.' Mrs Seccombe, from Preston on Stour, Warwickshire, said Tilly 'had everything', adding: 'She was bright, funny and kind with an army of friends and a family that loved her very much.' The bereaved mother called on the Government to stop 'procrastinating' and to take action to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries involving young drivers. Addressing ministers directly, she said: 'Whilst you are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, you have recognised that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads. You have been exploring options to tackle the root causes of this for decades – It's time for action – Not procrastination. Otherwise, more families will suffer the devastating loss of their loved ones.' According to statistics from the Department for Transport, in 2023 around a fifth of all killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties from collisions involving cars were in collisions which involved a young car driver, defined as someone between the ages of 17 to 24. Young male car drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers aged 25 or over. An analysis of statistics between 2019 and 2023 shows that almost half (48 per cent) of KSI casualties occurred on rural roads, compared to 42 per cent of casualties caught up in collisions involving drivers from other age groups. And as with the Stretton-on-Fosse incident, more than half (53 per cent) of KSI casualties in younger driver collisions occurred away from a junction. The figure for other driver age groups was 47 per cent over the same five-year period. But while a longer-term look at the statistics shows that since 2004, KSI casualties from a collision involving at least one younger car driver fell by 60 per cent, from 12,257 to 4,959, between 2002 and 2003 the figures rose, albeit by only 0.6 per cent. Two months before the collision caused by Spencer, a lorry driver died in a collision with a school bus heading to Chipping Campden School on the same stretch of the B4035 between the north Cotswolds towns and Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire.
Scottish Sun
28-04-2025
- Scottish Sun
Reckless teen driver who killed three pals in horror head-on crash as he drove them home from school is jailed
Two other children were left with life-changing injuries in the smash TRIPLE TRAGEDY Reckless teen driver who killed three pals in horror head-on crash as he drove them home from school is jailed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RECKLESS teen driver has been jailed after he killed three of his friends in a "horror "catastrophic" smash as he drove them home from school. Edward Spencer, 18, was in his Ford Fiesta near Shipston, Warwickshire, when he smashed head-on into a Fiat 500. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Matilda 'Tilly' Seccombe was one of three teens killed in the crash Credit: Gofundme Passengers Harry Purcell, 17, Matilda "Tilly" Seccombe, 16, and Frank Wormald, 16, were all tragically killed. Two children aged 10 and 12, who were travelling in the Fiat, suffered life-changing injuries in the horror last April. Spencer has now been jailed for two years at Warwick Crown Court after he admitted causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving. The teen also pleaded guilty to three counts of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving. New driver Spencer, who was 17 at the time, was driving his pals away from Chipping Campden School when the crash took place. Harry and Tilly died the day after the smash, while Frank passed away two days later. Paying tribute previously, Harry's family said in a statement: "Our hearts are broken but our love for Harry will live forever. "He was so kind in every way and carried with him a contagious smile that everyone around him loved so much. "He will live on in everyone's hearts and memories forever and never be forgotten." While Tilly's family said: "We are utterly devastated by the loss of our beautiful girl who made us so happy. "Our hearts go out to all who knew her and will share this terrible pain. Thank you Tilly. "We are blessed to have had you in our lives." 4 Frank Wormald was being driven home from school when the horror unfolded Credit: Gofundme 4 Harry Purcell tragically passed away the day after the crash Credit: PA
